The Hoenn Journeys
by ButterflyMeadow
Summary: Colleen Rose is a Pokemon Trainer who wants to be the very best. But memories of her past arrive, and Colleen learns mysterious links to the disappearance of her parents. And then, why does she feel so strange around Steven? Steven/OC COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I got HeartGold and I'm at the Pokémon League 8O *gasp.* I love my Feraligatr. Anyway, this is in Hoenn, but you will find me mentioning other region Pokémon, too (for ease of writing). Slight Advanceshipping. ENJOY!**

**EDIT 12/25/11: Hey, Merry Christmas everyone! :) So here I am after a year and a half, reading this fanfic and cringing a little at my writing back then xD So I'm revising bits and pieces of the story, gradually, so they make more sense, don't sound weird, etc :)**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**By Meerca aka Butterfly Meadow**

**Chapter 1**

_It was just another morning in Littleroot Town as flocks of Pidgey, Starly, and Taillow chirped their sunrise serenades. But in the small home nearest to the Pokémon Laboratory, it was everything but another morning for a just-turned ten-year-old girl._

_Colleen Rose stood in front of the hall mirror, tying her usual two small braids on each side of her flowing pink hair with Poké Ball scrunchies. She straightened her new Trainer outfit—a red sleeveless hoodie-like top over a white half-sleeve shirt, black tights, a dark blue skirt, red-and-white Poké Ball design shoes, and pink sports gloves._

_"Colleen, are you ready?" Mrs. Cedarwood asked, coming out of the bedroom. "Brendan's waiting for you."_

_"Yup!" Colleen walked into the kitchen to meet Brendan. Her friend—not to mention, rival—was wearing a green-and-orange themed outfit._

_"Hey, Col," Brendan greeted. "You feeling all right?"_

_"I guess," Colleen replied a little sadly, biting her lip. "I do wish Mom and Dad were here . . ."_

_The room quieted. "Oh, dear," Mrs. Cedarwood said, hugging Colleen. "You'll find them, Colleen. I'm sure of it! You'll be travelling all over Hoenn, so you're bound to pick up information! They're probably waiting for you, too!"_

_"Anyway," Brendan said quickly. "Let's head over to Professor Birch's lab, Colleen, before Ethan gets the good starters!"_

_Colleen giggled a bit at that. "Okay."_

_"Bye, my dears," Mrs. Cedarwood said, hugging Brendan and Colleen proudly and planting a soft kiss to each of their foreheads. "This may be a sad day, since you will be leaving me, but I'm very proud that my two favorite children in the world are becoming Pokémon Trainers. Be sure to come back and visit, both of you!"_

_"We will!" Brendan and Colleen called out as they walked outside, hearts heavy with grief but the spice of adventure, as well. "Bye!"_

_"Hey, guys!" the duo's friend, Ethan, called out. Today was the day he was getting his starter Pokémon, too. "C'mon, Professor Birch's waiting!"_

_The trio ran the rest of the way to Professor Birch's lab. Professor Birch greeted them with a happy "Good morning, kids!"_

_The three followed Professor Birch to the machine where the starters were. "Choose one each, okay? Here we have Torchic, a Fire-type, Treecko, a Grass-type, and Mudkip, a Water-type." He let the three Pokémon out of their Poké Balls._

_Colleen immediately knew her choice. "I choose Torchic!" she said happily. The orange chick chirped and walked over to Colleen._

_"No problem with that, Col, I like Treecko," Ethan decided. The green gecko Pokémon leaned against Ethan._

_"Cool, I get Mudkip!" Brendan commented. The finned Pokémon gave a cry of, "Mudkip!"_

_Professor Birch handed each Trainer a Pokédex. "You kids take care, okay? Good luck on your journeys, Pokémon Trainers!"_

_With that, the trio went to Oldale Town, then went their own ways. Colleen waved to Ethan and Brendan as they walked to Route 103 while she headed for Rustboro City._

The day was still fresh in Colleen's mind as she rested on a rock in a forest near Ever Grande City. She wiped the sweat from her forehead—the sun was strong today. _Where is Ever Grande City?_

Colleen almost couldn't believe that five years ago, she'd just begun her journey as a Pokémon Trainer. She now had all the Hoenn badges, and was heading to Ever Grande City to register for the Pokémon Hoenn League Championship.

"_Pichu . . ._" Colleen was shaken out of her thoughts at the faint cry of her special Tiny Mouse Pokémon. When it was a hatchling, according to some residents near Mauville City, it had been abandoned and one day, its tail had been damaged in an encounter with a vicious Houndoom. That tail wound made it so that it would never evolve. Colleen felt pity for the poor little Pokémon and decided to take it along with her; she'd never expected it to become a permanent fixture in her party. She didn't mind, though; Pichu was actually quite strong. It hated Poké Balls because of its fear of being abandoned and alone, so Colleen kept it walking with her.

"Do you want water?" Colleen asked. Pichu nodded weakly, and Colleen helped it drink some from its tiny water bottle.

"Colleen!" Colleen and Pichu turned; a gray-haired young man walked towards them. "Ever Grande City is up ahead."

"Steven!" Colleen picked up Pichu and ran towards the Steel-type Trainer. "You'll get dehydrated! You should've waited for me; I _am_ your traveling partner."

"You were tired, and I wasn't," Steven said simply, a smile playing at his lips. "It saves us time, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but aren't you already steaming in your suit?" Colleen asked.

"You shouldn't be worrying about me," Steven said, and Colleen's heart jumped. "You're more fragile."

"Um . . ." Colleen's face turned red as Steven smiled at her again before turning around to scan the trees.

"YES! EVER GRANDE CITY!"

The voice made Colleen and Pichu jump, while Steven raised his eyebrows. "Wait a minute, that sounds like . . ." He suddenly headed in the direction of the voice.

Colleen and Pichu glanced at each other before chasing after Steven. "Steven, wait up!"

"Ash!" Steven called once he reached the boy. He wore a cap over messy black hair, and a Pikachu was at his shoulder. There were three people around him, too—a girl with blue eyes and brown hair, a boy with spiky brown hair, and a short boy with glasses and black hair.

"Hey, Steven!" the boy said. "Never thought I'd see you here!"

"And I you," Steven smiled. "How's it going?"

"Um, Steven . . . ?" Colleen interrupted hesitantly.

"Oh, sorry, Colleen." Steven made a few quick introductions. "Ash, this is Colleen Rose—I've been traveling with her. Colleen, this is Ash, May, Max, and Brock." He indicated each Trainer as he said his or her name.

"Hello!" Colleen greeted amiably, Pichu doing the same. The other four did the same.

"Why are you here, Colleen?" May asked.

"I'm heading for the Hoenn League," Colleen replied, unable to mask the pride in her voice. She watched Ash's Pikachu hop down from its Trainer's shoulder and run over to Pichu. The two began to talk in their Pika-language.

"Oh that's awesome!" Max cried. "Can we watch your battle? Please? Please?"

"Max, don't be rude!" May scolded, putting her hands on her hips. Max stuck his tongue out at May.

"Oh, it's all right, May," Colleen smiled, laughing a little. "You guys can come, if you want."

"When's your battle?" Brock asked.

Colleen was going to answer but then blinked and looked at Steven questioningly. "They didn't give me a time, did they?"

Steven smiled. "It's today at three," he replied, and Colleen could only wonder where he'd gotten that bit of information.

"Aiming to be a Pokémon Master?" Ash questioned, and Colleen caught the glimpse of challenge in his eye.

"That's the plan," Colleen answered confidently; this was turning out a lot like other challenges she'd had from Trainers.

"Then can I battle you?" Ash asked immediately, standing up. May, Max, and Brock sweatdropped.

"I'd love to!" Colleen accepted. It would be good training for her Elite Four conquest, anyway.

"It would be a treat to see how much both of you have improved," Steven nodded, smiling again, and Colleen's cheeks reddened again.

"I'll be the unofficial judge," Brock volunteered. Colleen and Ash nodded, and walked to opposite sides of the field.

"This is a two-on-two match," Brock announced. "No time limit, two Pokémon per Trainer. Battle start!"

"Okay, Pichu, Espeon, I choose you!" Colleen called out. Pichu jumped towards the field's center as Espeon jumped out of its Poké Ball with a cry of "_Espeon!_"

"Go, Sceptile and Torkoal!" Ash yelled. Sceptile slashed the air as it came out of its Poké Ball and the turtle-like Pokémon exhaled smoke. "Sceptile, Leaf Blade, Torkoal, Flamethrower!"

"Espeon, Pichu, dodge!" The two Pokémon leapt, avoiding most of Ash's Pokémon's attacks. "Pichu, Volt Tackle, Espeon, Shadow Ball!"

Pichu's body sparked as it darted quickly towards Torkoal. Torkoal wasn't able to dodge in time, and took the full attack. It began to wobble.

Meanwhile, Espeon shot a huge purple-gray ball towards Sceptile. Sceptile quickly dodged, but the attack ghosted across its back.

"Sceptile, try another Leaf Blade!" Ash commanded. The sharp leaves slashed at Pichu. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon managed to jump out of the assault after taking a bit of damage, counterattacking with another Volt Tackle.

"Espeon, Psychic!" Espeon's body glowed, and it lifted Torkoal into the air. Torkoal struggled, but was slammed into the ground three times before defeat.

"Torkoal, return!" Ash clenched his fists, and Colleen could see sweat tricking down his face as he ordered, "Sceptile, Bullet Seed!"

"Espeon, return the attack! Pichu, Iron Tail!" Espeon's psychic power sent the seeds back at Sceptile, while Pichu's Iron Tail came down on it, too. Sceptile struggled to stand, but passed out the moment it got onto its feet.

"Sceptile and Torkoal are unable to battle!" Brock announced. "Espeon and Pichu win!"

"Great job, you two!" Colleen cried, beaming at Pichu and Espeon. "Return, Espeon!" The Sun Pokémon disappeared inside its Friend Ball.

"You're a good Trainer, Colleen," Ash admitted as he recalled Sceptile. "You'll do great at the Elite Four!"

"Why, thank you, Ash," Colleen smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, you have definite potential. Just keep working at your goal, I'm sure you can get there!"

"Heh, thanks!" Ash grinned. "Let's battle again another time, and as Pokémon Masters!"

Colleen laughed a little as she took Ash's offered hand. "It's a deal!"

Max checked his PokéNav. "It's two forty-five! We'd better get going—Ever Grande City is up ahead!"

"Okay." The Trainers got up, and headed out of the forest to Ever Grande City. The group was able to track down the Pokémon League building just in time.

"Colleen Rose?" Nurse Joy called once they were inside. Her pink eyes settled on Colleen. "Would that be you, miss?"

The group went up to the counter which Nurse Joy stood behind. "Yes." Colleen swallowed, suddenly feeling very nervous.

"Your battle is next. Do you have everything?"

Colleen made mental notes. _Lots of Potions and Full Restores . . . yup, should be everything. _"Yes."

"Alright, let me see your Pokémon so I can fully heal them . . ." Nurse Joy took Colleen's Poké Balls and put them in a machine while putting Pichu on a small platform. She flipped up a switch, then handed Pichu and the Poké Balls back to their Trainer. "There, you're ready to go! Good luck!"

"Thank you," Colleen answered automatically. She gulped as the group went through the entrance and stopped at the field. She then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Colleen," Steven assured her encouragingly. "You're a great Trainer, I'm sure you can do this." His teal-grey eyes twinkled in a manner reminiscent of his father.

Colleen tried to stifle the blush, but it came all the same. "Thanks, Steven," she said, her voice coming out in a whisper.

"We need to take out seats now," Brock said.

"Good luck!" Ash and May chorused.

"You'll be awesome!" Max cheered.

"Don't worry, you'll be great, Colleen," Steven repeated soothingly. "Good luck to you, too, Pichu," he added with a soft smile, patting Pichu's head kindly. Steven gave Colleen a final wink, to which she blushed madly, before disappearing into the crowd.

"Today, folks, an epic battle is about to play out right before our eyes!" the announcer blared. "Colleen Rose, of Littleroot Town, is here today to challenge the Hoenn League!" Cheers erupted for Colleen before the announcer continued, "Her first adversary will be Ever Grande's first Elite Four member—everyone, let's hear it for _Sidney!_"

Everyone cheered as a grinning man with a small red mohawk came into the room with his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants, an air of cool arrogance around him. "Yo," he greeted. "Colleen, right? Nice to meet'cha."

"Yeah," Colleen nodded, heart pounding. "Nice to meet you, too."

"This is a three-on-three battle, no time limit! The challenger may switch Pokémon at any time, and the Elite Four member may only switch after a Pokémon is knocked out! Battle—" Colleen tensed, grabbing a Poké Ball. "—BEGIN!"

"Let's rock this stage, Shiftry!" Sidney yelled, and a Pokémon with white hair standing on stilts appeared in front of him, spinning its leaf fans.

"Alright, it's all starting with you, Blaziken!" Colleen shouted, her faithful red-and-yellow Pokémon jumping into action. "Blaze Kick, let's go!"

Blaziken jumped, its leg glowing with flames, and roundhouse-kicked Shiftry. Shiftry took full brunt of the attack, but looked so unhurt that Colleen was taken aback. _That Shiftry must be extremely strong to survive Blaziken's Blaze Kick—these aren't normal Trainers that I can OHKO anymore, that's for sure! I'll need to wear it down and be tactical . . ._

"Shiftry, Extrasensory!" Shiftry's eyes glowed, and a rainbow-colored beam shot out of its eyes and at Blaziken.

"Blaziken, dodge it and use Sky Uppercut!"

Blaziken's strong legs gave it a high jump, and it came down fast with a Sky Uppercut. Shiftry couldn't dodge the hit, the jump giving Blaziken extra power, and toppled over.

"The challenger makes use of Blaziken's extraordinary jumping ability, and Shiftry is unable to battle! Blaziken wins this round!"

"Good work, Blaziken!" Colleen cried in some relief. _One down!_

"_Pichu pi!_" Pichu cheered.

"You deserve a rest. Return!" Blaziken vanished inside its Poké Ball.

"Pretty rad work," Sidney called. "But don't party yet, it's gonna get tougher! Go, Crawdaunt!"

"_Crawdaunt!_" the crab-fish Pokémon growled, snapping its claws.

"Ready, Pichu?" Colleen asked.

"_Pi pi chu!"_ Pichu nodded determinedly, stepping into the arena.

"Crawdaunt, Surf!" A wave of water crashed towards Pichu.

"Pichu, use the water to your advantage! Volt Tackle!"

Pichu's body glowed with electricity and charged through the water at Crawdaunt, electrifying the crab Pokémon. Crawdaunt fell to the ground.

"A one-hit KO as this Littleroot Town Trainer uses Crawdaunt's Surf to her Pichu's advantage!" the announcer yelled. "The challenger is on a roll!"

"Okay, Pichu, I'll need you later," Colleen told Pichu. "So get some rest and let your buddies finish this match!"

"_Pichu pi!_" Pichu replied more than willingly, stepping aside.

"Last Pokémon already," Sidney commented. "Not bad, dudette. But here's my toughie—let's do this, Mightyena!" The black dog Pokémon Colleen was so familiar with snarled as it entered the battlefield.

"Okay, um . . . Feraligatr, you're up!" Colleen called out. The blue crocodilian Pokémon snapped its strong jaws as it faced Mightyena.

"Mightyena, Double-Edge!" Mightyena charged into Feraligatr at high speed, damaging itself as it collided with the larger Pokémon.

"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!" Feraligatr opened its jaws wide and sent a large cannon of water at Mightyena. The Bite Pokémon reeled from the hit, but came back up snarling immediately.

"Mightyena, Dark Pulse!" Mightyena opened its jaws, and sent a black wave around the battlefield. Feraligatr was too heavy to jump, and took the hit.

"Feraligatr, finish it! Hydro Cannon!" Feraligatr sent another larger blast of water at Mightyena, and it fainted.

"Mightyena is unable to battle! Feraligatr wins, and challenger Colleen Rose has won her first Elite Four match!"

"Yes!" Colleen cried in relief again. "Good work, Feraligatr! Return!"

Sidney walked up to Colleen. "Radical job, dudette, ya beat me!" he winked. "It's gonna tougher as it goes on, though, so look out, yeah? Good luck!" Flipping a peace sign behind him, Sidney walked away, followed by a few girlish screams.

"The challenger has a few moments to prepare before the next battle!"

"Come out for a second, Feraligatr and Blaziken." Colleen's two fully-evolved starters appeared. "Do you guys need anything?"

"_Blaze blaziken._"

"_Feraligatrrrr._"

"Okay, good. Our next match is coming up. I'll let you both rest for a little bit. Return!"

After a few moments the announcer shouted again, "The challenger, Colleen Rose of Littleroot Town, will now face the second Elite Four member! Let's all give it up for _Phoebe!_"

A woman with very short brown hair with two pink flowers in them walked out of the hall. She wore a blue swimming top and a similarly colored towel-like skirt printed with two white flowers and a white Poké Ball with a slit up one leg and a pink band on that leg. A few distinctly masculine voices wolf-whistled. "Hiya, Colleen!" Phoebe greeted cheerily.

Colleen smiled anxiously. "Hi, Phoebe."

"Well, brace yourself, Colleen." Phoebe smiled warmly, but her tone was warning. "Witness the power of my bond with Ghost-type Pokémon!"

"The rules are the same as the previous battle. Now—let the battle begin!"

**A/N: This chapter was wearing on long, so I left the match with Phoebe till the next chap. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry I haven't updated for so long! Four distractions—comps (now done), break, computer virus, and the flu. But I'm better now! So here's chapter 2 everyone! BTW: I based some of the Pokémon's moves off of the game moves. Example: Phoebe's Banette used Thunderbolt, and in Emerald, one of Phoebe's LV. 49 Banette knows Thunderbolt.**

**Disclaimer: Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, not me.**

**EDIT 12/30/11: Just so you guys know, I made Wallace's last name in this fic Springfield ^^**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 2**

Sidney's words echoed in Colleen's head as Phoebe called, "Go, Banette!" The marionette Pokémon teetered eerily as it appeared after a white flash.

Colleen threw one of her Poké Balls with sweaty hands. "Come on out, Mightyena!" Colleen's rough but loyal Bite Pokémon reared on its haunches and gave a snarling bark.

Phoebe smiled. "Okay, Banette, Thunderbolt!"

The command baffled Colleen as the announcer wondered, "How will the challenger respond to Phoebe's surprise attack?"

_Thunderbolt? How does a Banette learn—_ The crackling of a lightning bolt snapped the Trainer out of her thoughts. "Mightyena, counter with a Dark Pulse!" she shouted. She hoped the Dark Pulse could either intercept or travel through the bolt of electricity, but instead, both attacks collided and a bit of both struck Mightyena and Banette. The black wolf-like Pokémon growled and shook its head to shake off the electricity, while Banette looked unaffected, despite the super-effective attack.

"Um . . . Mightyena, try Crunch!"

Mightyena leapt and clamped down viciously on Banette.

"Break free with Thunderbolt!"

"Mightyena, dodge and Dark Pulse!"

Banette took too much time creating the thunderbolt, and it took the full Dark Pulse attack. There was now a teeter to its walk.

"Banette, Thunderbolt again!" But Banette had flinched and couldn't attack.

"Mightyena, finish this with another Dark Pulse!"

The black pulse hit the Marionette Pokémon as the announcer declared, "And with a flurry of Dark Pulses, the challenger defeats Banette and the first adversary of this battle!"

"Good job, Banette! Return!" Phoebe took out another Poké Ball. "Good job so far," she admitted to Colleen. "Now let's see how you fare against Sableye!" A purple-colored Pokémon with gem eyes appeared.

Mightyena looked like it wanted to face Sableye, but Colleen gently shook her head. "I still need you, Mightyena, and I don't want you to go down here." Her Bite Pokémon growled a little but allowed Colleen to recall it. "Now you're up, Salamence!" Her gutsy Dragon Pokémon with maroon wings roared as it soared over the battlefield, eliciting cheers from the crowd.

"Sableye, Shadow Ball!" Phoebe commanded. Sableye created a dark sphere in its hands and shot it at Salamence.

"Salamence, Flamethrower!" Colleen countered.

Salamence opened its mouth and let a huge blast of fire out. The Flamethrower engulfed the Shadow Ball and Sableye at the same time.

"What a massive Flamethrower the challenger's Salamence has summoned!" the announcer yelled. "Is this the end for Sableye?"

Once the flames had cleared up, Sableye was still standing, but had burns all over its body. "Sableye, don't give up! You can do it! Night Shade!" Two dark beams from Sableye's eyes collided with Salamence, and Salamence impulsively shot another Flamethrower at Sableye, who toppled immediately after the attack.

"Looks like Sableye couldn't take the heat, and it's down for the count!"

"Great job, Sableye, you deserve a rest. Return!" Phoebe held out a Dusk Ball. "All right, get ready for my last Pokémon, Colleen! This won't be easy! Do your best, Dusclops!"

The Beckon Pokémon focused its single red eye at Colleen, who shuddered in spite of herself. _Dusclops is strong . . . Espeon won't be a good choice, Blaziken wouldn't either, Mightyena and Salamence just fought, and Pichu could be susceptible to getting scared. Well, then, that leaves Feraligatr!_ "Last battle, Feraligatr! Let's do it!" The blue crocodilian Pokémon snapped its jaws as it faced Dusclops. "Shadow Ball!"

Feraligatr conjured a sphere of dark matter and hurled it at Dusclops. Dusclops took the hit, but Colleen couldn't tell if it was actually damaged.

"Dusclops, Earthquake!" The ground began to roll and tumble, and Colleen and Feraligatr struggled to gain balance. _Wait, what was that the Pokédex entry said . . . ? Oh, right!_ "Feraligatr, get on all fours, quick!" Feraligatr obeyed, and was able to steady itself.

"The Littleroot Town Trainer demonstrates her tactics again as she uses her Feraligatr's natural abilities to her advantage!" the announcer blared.

"Hydro Pump!" The massive blast of water struck Dusclops, and it finally looked weaker.

"Dusclops, Rock Slide!"

Dusclops moved its hands in a circular motion, and rocks began crashing down towards Feraligatr.

"Feraligatr, try to avoid!" Colleen kept her fingers crossed—Feraligatr weren't the fastest Pokémon species, especially on land, where they needed to be on all fours most of the time to support themselves. Feraligatr tried to evade, but took the brunt of most of the rocks.

"Feraligatr!" Colleen cried. Her Big Jaw Pokémon had only recently evolved from a Croconaw and was still adjusting, so it was a little weaker than the rest of her Pokémon. "If you want I can—"

Feraligatr shook its head determinedly. "_Ferrrrr__!_"

"Okay, if you're sure . . . then let's hit it with Hydro Cannon!" Feraligatr opened its mouth wide, and the explosion of water hit an unsuspecting Dusclops, who gave a faint cry and toppled.

"Dusclops in unable to battle! The match goes to Colleen and her Feraligatr!" the referee announced. "The challenger is now almost halfway through her conquest!" The crowd erupted into applause.

"Nice job, Colleen," Phoebe complimented, smiling. "I wish you the best of luck in your coming matches!" With a wave, she walked out of the arena.

Again, Colleen was given a few moments to recuperate and she asked her Pokémon if they were all okay. Feraligatr needed a Super Potion, but otherwise, everyone was ready to go.

"Now, the challenger will face the third member of the Elite Four—everyone, here's _Glacia!_"

A curly blonde woman with a purple dress entered the field as cheers erupted from the crowd.

"The same rules as the previous battles apply—now, battle begin!"

"Hello, dear Colleen," Glacia greeted formally. "Let us begin right away, shall we? Enter the field, Sealeo!" The Ball Roll Pokémon clapped its fins.

_A Water- and Ice-type . . . I don't have anything to directly counter and I should save Pichu . . ._ "Okay, give it your best shot, Espeon!"

The sleek lavender Pokémon mewed, its violet eyes shining with determination as it waited for its first command. "Iron Tail!"

Espeon's long forked tail glowed silver and it leapt, slamming its tail into Sealeo. Sealeo countered with a frigid Blizzard attack, which Espeon almost dodged.

_Maybe I should try out Espeon's newest move . . ._ "Let's try Zen Headbutt!"

Espeon's head glowed, its red forehead gem especially, and it headbutted Sealeo. Sealeo still looked like it had little damage! _It must be all that blubber Sealeo_ _has!_ Colleen realized._ Physical attacks won't do much damage . . ._

"Sealeo, Blizzard again!"

The blast of ice swirled around and pelted Espeon, who shivered as Colleen continued to think. _Sealeo can't be able to move fast with all that blubber, either. If only Espeon knew Agility . . . aha! _"Espeon, Quick Attack, but don't hit Sealeo!"

Espeon began to dash around Sealeo as Colleen planned.

"Sealeo, stop it with Blizzard!" But Espeon kept dashing around, escaping all hits. Sealeo couldn't keep up, and fainted with a dizzied expression.

"The challenger used her Espeon's Quick Attack as an Agility attack to confuse and knock out Sealeo!" the announcer shouted. "Her tactics are looking up for her!"

"Wonderful job, Sealeo," Glacia said. "Return, dear!" She produced another Poké Ball. "All right, Glalie, let's take command!" The Face Pokémon growled.

"Awesome job, Espeon!" Colleen called out. "You return, too!" Espeon vanished inside its Poké Ball. "Let's heat this round up now, Blaziken!" Blaziken's wrists were already flaming as it came out of its Poké Ball.

"Glalie, Shadow Ball!" The dark ball formed in front of Glalie's face, and headed, rather slowly, towards Blaziken. Blaziken jumped over it, and countered with a mammoth Fire Blast. Glalie was too slow to dodge and took the flames full brunt, beginning to sweat.

"Let's try one more Shadow Ball, Glalie!" Glacia called. _Try _one more _Shadow Ball?_ Colleen asked herself at the peculiarity of that statement. _What does she mean by that? What trick does she have up her sleeve?_

"Blaziken, Fire Punch!" Blaziken's fists blazed, and it punched Glalie two times before it could release Shadow Ball.

"Blaziken is proving a little too hot to handle for Glalie!" the announcer yelled.

Glacia frowned a little. "Your Blaziken is quite agile, my dear," she complimented, and Colleen glowed with pride. "I'm afraid you've left us with a rather . . . _raucous _alternative." _Raucous?_ "Glalie, _Explosion!_"

Glalie closed its eyes, and a deafening blast echoed in the room while clouding it. Colleen gasped and screamed, "_Blaziken, look out!_" hoping that it would hear in time, but she doubted anyone could hear anything over the noise.

When the smoke cleared up, the aftermath could be seen: Glalie had fainted, and Blaziken was on its knees, panting. The fire around its wrists was sputtering and dying.

"Blaziken! Are you all right?"

"_B-Blaze,_" Blaziken replied weakly, shaking its head ruefully. Colleen took a Full Restore out of her pack.

"Blaziken, I'll let you rest for as long as I can, okay? Here—" Colleen sprayed the Full Restore on Blaziken. "Great job. Return!"

"In a rather messy attack, both Blaziken and Glalie have fainted! It's down to the last round of this match, each Trainer's choice means everything!"

Glacia kissed her Luxury Ball before tossing it out. "Go, Walrein!" The huge walrus-like Pokémon roared.

_I thought so. Good thing I left Pichu until now. _"Want to take this one?" Colleen asked her little Pokémon. Pichu nodded determinedly and stepped in front of its Trainer.

Glacia chuckled in a dignified manner. "What a darling little Pichu!" she exclaimed. "Top in cuteness, but power?"

Colleen's eyes narrowed. She would show everyone that day how unevolved Pokémon weren't always weak. "Don't worry," she assured Glacia. "Pichu has so much power that it's been compared to a Raichu."

"_Pichu pi!_" Pichu agreed, nodding fiercely.

"Very well," Glacia replied, mildly amused. "Walrein, Ice Beam!" The icy pillar headed towards Pichu.

"Pichu, jump on the beam and use Volt Tackle!" Colleen commanded. Pichu streaked up the ice, sparking with electricity, and slammed into Walrein. Walrein was still sparking as the attack receded.

"Not bad, dear," Glacia nodded, looking impressed. "Not bad at all. Your Pichu has paralyzed my Walrein, but it has damaged itself, as well, so let us finish with Ice Beam!" But Walrein couldn't carry out the attack!

"Pichu, Thunderbolt!" Pichu sent an electric burst at Walrein. Walrein couldn't move out of the way, and was hit again.

Glacia frowned a little. "Walrein, Sheer Cold!"

The huge mass of ice and snow surrounded Pichu, and Pichu shivered, and Colleen could tell its energy was being zapped fast. "_Piiiii . . ._"

"Pichu, jump above the snow and use Thunder!" Pichu shakily nodded and jumped to the ceiling. After some time to thaw out a bit, it released a huge lightning blast, and Walrein slumped to the ground.

"Walrein is unable to battle! Pichu and Colleen win!" the announcer cried yet again.

"Awesome job, Pichu!" Colleen gave Pichu a high-five and hugged it. "You took down a Walrein!"

"I underestimated you, dear," Glacia said, smiling. "Wonderful work. Very commendable. And your Pichu—" She patted Pichu's head. "—is not only cute, but a powerhouse, as well. I will take this as a lesson."

"Thank you," Colleen answered, beaming.

"I wish you the best of luck in your coming battles, Colleen." Glacia bowed and then walked out of the stadium.

"Now, we have Colleen up against the last member of the Elite Four—let's hear it for _Drake!_"

A man with a white mustache and a sailor-like suit entered the battlefield followed by cheers. "Hello, lass," he greeted, tipping his hat. "I haven't seen many come this far, that I haven't, so I'm sure you'll give me a good match!"

"As always, the same battle rules apply. Let the battle begin!"

"Come out, Flygon!" The Mystic Pokémon with red eye covers hovered in the air as it entered the battle.

"Do your best, Feraligatr!" Feraligatr was in better condition than the last battle and looked ready to go.

"Flygon, Dragonbreath attack!"

Flygon let a fiery beam out of its mouth.

"Feraligatr, put in as much power as you can!" Colleen shouted. _This had better work, I'll probably need to use Feraligatr twice in this match._ "Blizzard!" Feraligatr barraged a blast of ice at Flygon. Flygon became encased in ice. "Finish it with Aqua Tail!" Feraligatr splashed its tail on the block of ice, and Flygon was out!

"Amazing!" the announcer called out. "A KO for Feraligatr in a single turn!"

"Return, Flygon," Drake said before nodding at Colleen. "Not shabby, lass. Prepare yourself, however. Go, Altaria!" The blue Pokémon with white cotton wings hummed.

"Feraligatr, can you keep battling?" Feraligatr nodded. "Okay then. Blizzard!"

Altaria zoomed out of the way and slashed Feraligatr with its beak. _Aerial Ace!_

"Feraligatr, lock on to Altaria!" Colleen called out. "Try another Blizzard!"

Altaria was flitting around, and Feraligatr focused on it to barrage it with Blizzard at the right moment. It was another one hit-KO!

"Great job, Feraligatr!" Colleen cheered. "Take a rest!" Feraligatr disappeared inside its Dive Ball. "Okay, last round! You can do this, Salamence!" The dragon Pokémon took flight once more.

Drake chuckled. "How amusing. It may have been better to keep that Feraligatr out. Well, let's see how you do with this one, lass! Come out, Salamence!" Drake's own Salamence flew out to face Colleen's Salamence.

_Dragon-types are weak to each other, so this battle will depend completely on the moves . . . _"Salamence, Dragon Pulse!" Colleen cried. The glowing blue pulse hit Drake's Salamence, but Drake's Salamence sent its own Dragon Pulse at Colleen's Salamence, balancing the effect. _Drake's Salamence seems to be like mine . . ._ Her hands began to get sweaty."Salamence, Draco Meteor!"

Orange orbs like meteors came crashing down on Drake's Salamence. Drake raised an eyebrow.

"Draco Meteor? Smart move to teach a Dragon-type," he remarked. "Well, Salamence, try your Dragon Claw!"

Drake's Salamence's claws glowed light green, and slashed Colleen's Salamence. Colleen's Salamence reeled from the blow, and it was already weak. _Uh oh, I have to end this soon! _"Salamence, Dragon Rush!"

Colleen's Salamence nose-dived, a blue shield radiating from its body, and crashed into Drake's Salamence, which was still very much in the battle.

"Salamence, put all of your power into it!" Drake yelled. "Dragonbreath!" But Drake's Salamence had flinched.

"Salamence!" Colleen called out, her heart pounding. "You've got a chance to finish this! _Dragon Pulse!_" The glowing blue pulse hit Drake's Salamence again, and Drake's Salamence fell to the floor, knocked out.

"Drake's Salamence is unable to battle! Salamence and Colleen win!" As the crowd cheered, the announcer roared, "And the challenger has now defeated the Elite Four! All that remains in her path from the title is the Championship Battle!"

Colleen jumped up! "YES!" she cried. "Good job, Salamence!" Salamence gave a weak, but victorious, cry. Colleen rushed over, and sprayed a Max Potion on it. "Take a rest. Return!"

Meanwhile, Drake approached Colleen. "Superb, it should be said," he complimented. "Lass, you are a very strong, true Trainer. I wish you the best of luck in your very, _very _special last match."

Colleen looked at him questioningly. "Special?

Drake cut her off. "You'll see, lass." He walked away, smiling. "Good luck."

"Now, Colleen Rose of Littleroot Town has come to the Hoenn League at the right time," the announcer began. "Our roaming Champion of Hoenn is actually present for today's match, and will be battling alongside the other Champion of Hoenn in a special double battle!"

_What?_ Colleen furrowed her brow. _But there's only one Champion . . . right?_

"May I now humbly present to you our Champions! First, make some noise for _Wallace Springfield!_"

The crowd cheered, applauded, and squealed as a man with a flowing white cape, white beret, turquoise hair, and sky eyes entered the field. The man waved at the crowd, smiling cheerily at everyone. "Hello, Colleen," he greeted warmly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Only the strongest can make it this far, so I also offer you my sincerest congratulations!"

"Hi, Wallace, and thank you," Colleen replied uncertainly. _Who could the other Champion be?_

"And now, let's all hear it for the Prince of Hoenn—_Steven Stone!_"

_STEVEN?_ Colleen's mouth fell open as the crowd's cheers, screams, and applause got even louder as Steven walked out next to Wallace, smiling.

"Hello, Colleen" he said politely as if it was their first meeting, and Colleen blushed again. She wanted to hit Wallace right on the head when she saw him looking between her and Steven with a sly grin.

"Now, the Champions are up against our challenger! How will she do? All will be revealed as this legendary battle unfolds!"

**A/N: Wow that was long. I'll update soon! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I beat all of Red's Pokémon in HeartGold but that LAPRAS yesterday _and _today. I got really frustrated -_- So about the story—I forgot to mention that by the time Colleen challenged the Elite Four, she's fifteen and Steven is twenty. Five years of training for Colleen—that's why she's so powerful :3 BTW Steven's Pokémon's moves are based off when he was Champion in Ruby/Sapphire and Wallace's are when he was Champion in Emerald.**

**Disclaimer: Pokémon doesn't belong to me at the moment. *sighs***

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 3**

"This will be a six-on-six Pokémon double-battle!" the announcer stated. "Champions Wallace Springfield and Steven Stone will use three Pokémon from each of their parties for a combination of six, while challenger Colleen Rose will use her own six Pokémon! The challenger may switch out Pokémon at any time, and there is no limit to how many times her Pokémon can battle. However, in this battle, _no items_ whatsoever can be used! Without further ado . . . let the legendary battle begin!"

Colleen's heart was pounding in her ears and the blood was rushing to her head as Steven and Wallace sent out their first two Pokémon. "Go, Skarmory!" Steven yelled, and his familiar Armor Bird Pokémon flew out of its Poké Ball.

"Take the stage, Ludicolo!" Wallace shouted. The striped green and yellow Carefree Pokémon danced a little jig as it entered the field.

_Ludicolo and Skarmory . . . Blaziken and Feraligatr need to rest, Pichu . . . I should save it for later since Wallace looks like a Water-type master, Salamence is one of my strongholds, so I should save it, too . . . that leaves two!_ "I choose you, Espeon and Mightyena!" Her Sun and Bite Pokémon both gave a snarl as they faced Ludicolo and Skarmory.

"Ladies first, Colleen," Wallace said, bowing elegantly with a flourish.

"Oh, thank you." Colleen couldn't help smiling a little through her tension. "Okay, Espeon, Psychic! Mightyena, Fire Fang!"

Espeon lifted Ludicolo only three feet and slammed it into the ground once when it broke free. Meanwhile, Mightyena's fangs flamed as it bit Skarmory. There were a few burn marks left once it went back, but Skarmory looked fine.

"Ludicolo, Surf!" Wallace commanded.

"Skarmory, Steel Wing!" Steven shouted.

Ludicolo sent a huge wave crashing at Espeon and Mightyena, while Skarmory's wing glowed and it swooped towards Mightyena incredibly fast, slamming into the Bite Pokémon. Both of Colleen's Pokémon managed to dodge Ludicolo's Surf at the last second.

"Umm . . . Espeon, try Zen Headbutt!" Colleen decided. "Mightyena, Thunder Fang!"

Espeon's red forehead gem glowed and an aura glowed around it as it headbutted Ludicolo. Mightyena's fangs sparked this time as it bit Skarmory.

"Ludicolo, Giga Drain!" Wallace yelled.

"Skarmory, Aerial Ace!" Steven commanded.

Green beams snaked out at Espeon and sucked energy from it to Ludicolo. Espeon hissed and bit the beam to be released, but energy had still been taken. Skarmory slashed Mightyena with its sharp beak.

_Ugh . . . I'm barely doing damage!_ Colleen bit the inside of her cheek in thought. _Have to try another approach . . ._ "Focus, guys! Espeon, Signal Beam! Mightyena, try another Fire Fang!"

Espeon closed its eyes and a colorful swirling beam emanated from its gem, engulfing Ludicolo. The beam didn't disappear, and when it finally did, Ludicolo gave a weak cry before fainting. Meanwhile, Mightyena clamped Skarmory again. The fire from its fangs was stronger than before—almost like a Flamethrower! Skarmory faintly cawed and fell to the floor with a dull thunk.

"Return!" Wallace and Steven chorused, and both took out Great Balls.

"Good job so far, Colleen," Steven remarked with his ever-present smile.

"It's going to get harder as it goes on, though!" Wallace smirked. "Take _up _the stage, Wailord!" The huge Float Whale Pokémon as large as the roof gave a deep bellow.

"Let's go, Aggron!" Steven's Iron Armor Pokémon stomped the ground and roared.

_Two Pokémon with really good defenses, _Colleen noted. "Okay, Mightyena, Espeon, return!" She took two more Poké Balls out of her pack. "Feraligatr, Salamence, get ready to rumble!" Her two Pokémon snarled at their opponents.

"Aggron, Thunder!"

"Wailord, Blizzard!"

Aggron sent a mammoth thunderbolt at Feraligatr, which Feraligatr only dodged because Aggron was slower than it. Wailord opened its great mouth and blasted ice and snow at Salamence. Salamence endured the cold and pelting ice before mustering the strength to fly above the snowstorm.

"Feraligatr, Superpower! Salamence, Thunder Fang!"

Feraligatr's body emanated a golden aura and it charged and tackled Aggron. The attack had done more damage than a physical attack would, but Aggron's armor was a helpful asset. Salamence, meanwhile, was able to lock its sparking jaws on Wailord and thoroughly electrify it. Wailord's hugeness helped it, however.

"Aggron, gather energy!" Aggron began gathering green globes energy in its mouth. Colleen recognized it from the few times she'd seen Steven tell Aggron to use that move—SolarBeam. She knew that he knew of her Feraligatr's low Special Defense, and Steven's Aggron's SolarBeam was deadly.

"Wailord, Blizzard again!" The snowstorm engulfed Salamence once more, but Salamence was able to fly out of it sooner.

"Salamence, use Draco Meteor! Feraligatr, stop Aggron from gathering energy! _Hydro Pump!_" The orange globes hit Wailord repetitively, weakening the giant Float Whale Pokémon even further. Aggron was very vulnerable because it was gathering energy, and the massive cannon of water was a shattering blow to Aggron as it fell to a knee but got up shakily.

"Wailord, keep it up with Blizzard!" Wallace repeated.

Steven took more time with his answer. He was pondering what the right move would be, and finally decided, "Aggron, try another Thunder attack!"

Wailord's snowstorm surrounded Salamence once again, and this time, the blizzard was too much for it to handle as it gave a weak cry and plummeted from the air.

"You were awesome, Salamence," Colleen assured her Pokémon as it fainted. "Thanks for your hard work, you deserve a long rest! Return!" Salamence disappeared into its Ultra Ball, and Colleen couldn't help but think, _One down . . ._

The thunderbolt hit Feraligatr this time, and it grew weaker, though it had enough strength for another attack or two. "Help Feraligatr out, Mightyena!" Colleen cried. Mightyena glared determinedly at Wailord and Aggron despite its slight panting and gave a loud bark.

"Mightyena, Thunder Fang! Feraligatr, finish Aggron off! Hydro Cannon!"

Mightyena sank its teeth into Wailord, its fangs sparking with more electricity, and Wailord swayed. It finally rolled over on its side, the stadium rumbling as the heavy Pokémon's head hit the ground. Colleen ungracefully managed to stay upright, after quite a bit of arm-flailing. Feraligatr balanced its swaying self, too, and sent a bigger water cannon at Aggron. The stadium rumbled once more as the Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon fell.

"Wonderful job, Wailord," Wallace praised, recalling the mammoth Pokémon to everyone's relief. "Return!"

"You, too, Aggron," Steven added. "Take a rest!" The two Pokémon disappeared into their Great Balls.

"Well, it's the final round now, everyone!" the announcer shouted. "The Champions are down to their final Pokémon, while the challenger still has five of hers! But this won't be as easy as it sounds!"

"Well, Colleen, you have two more Pokémon to beat, and you're a Hoenn League Champion," Steven smiled, and Colleen's heart began to palpitate even harder (for two reasons). "But this Pokémon may be one of the hardest you'll ever face." He threw his Ultra Ball into the air and shouted, "Psych this battle up, _Metagross!_"

The Iron Leg Pokémon roared as it came into battle. Colleen had known Metagross would come out at some point—it was Steven's favorite and strongest Pokémon. Colleen had seen it battle before, and now she'd have to put her own skills to the test against it.

"Well, indeed," Wallace agreed, taking out an Ultra Ball of his own. "You've only had one of your Pokémon knocked out thus far. But let's see how you handle _my_ team anchor! Mystify the crowd with your dazzling attacks, _Milotic!_" The long Tender Pokémon with long red eyebrows gave a smooth, alluring cry.

"Do you both want to keep fighting?" Colleen asked Feraligatr and Mightyena, wary of the duo's panting. Nevertheless, they nodded, though rather weakly, and faced their new opponents.

"The challenger Colleen Rose of Littleroot Town is two Pokémon away from becoming one of Hoenn's new League Champions!" the announcer yelled. "But can she stand up to the legendary duo Champions Steven and Wallace have up against her? Let's watch as this epic battle unfolds!"

"Feraligatr, Hydro Cannon, one more time!" Colleen shouted, her heart pounding a frenzied dance against her ribcage. She clenched her fists and wiped her forehead. "Mightyena, let's give Milotic a taste of your Thunder Fang!"

Feraligatr was able to send the massive water cannon at Metagross, who took the full hit but didn't look damaged. Mightyena clamped Milotic, sparks flying out of its fangs, but it didn't look damaged either! _Feraligatr and Mightyena are both weak right now . ._ . Colleen reaffirmed at the sight of her two Pokémon._ Feraligatr's Torrent ability should have kicked in, but it didn't seem to make a difference!_

"Milotic, Ice Beam!"

"Metagross, Earthquake!"

The ground began to shake immediately, and Milotic's Ice Beam made contact with Mightyena despite it. Mightyena was forced back a few inches at the sudden cold, curling its paws as it stood its ground but trembled. Feraligatr wasn't able to gain balance. "Feraligatr!" Colleen cried as the Big Jaw Pokémon toppled. "You did a great job, take a rest. Return!" She took a few deep breaths to reassure herself. _Okay, I still have four Pokémon. I'm still in this._ "Do your best, Espeon!"

Colleen was quick to notice that Espeon was panting as Mightyena had been since the start of the battle, and it looked like neither would survive another hit. Her heart clenched painfully. _It doesn't look good for these two . . . in that case, I should call for some strong attacks. _"Espeon, use Hyper Beam! Mightyena, try your Giga Impact!"

Espeon and Mightyena's two attacks entwined and collided with the target—Milotic. Espeon's high Special Attack and Mightyena's high Attack both had an effect, and Milotic reeled from the blow, finally looking damaged.

"Milotic, use Surf!" The crashing wave, so much larger than Ludicolo's earlier, nearly drowned Espeon and Mightyena. The two were gasping for air, and Colleen could tell they were through after Steven ordered for an Earthquake. After the two attacks, Mightyena and Espeon were both knocked out.

"And now, the battle heats up!" the announcer blared. "The Champions have made quick work of the challenger's former number advantage, and she now has two Pokémon left! Will they be enough to stand up to Metagross and Milotic?"

_I only have . . . Blaziken and Pichu . . . _Colleen knew she was in a bad spot now, and sweat was visibly trickling down her face. _Blaziken's got a type trump but a type weakness with this matchup, and even though Pichu has a type trump over Blaziken's type weakness, I don't know if it'll be enought . . . _She fell into mental despair. _What was I thinking, coming here? What was even the chance that I could actually win over the best Trainers in Hoenn? My career, my dreams . . . they're all over . . . __I can't win . . ._

That was when Colleen rose over her doubts and mentally shook herself. _No! What am I thinking? I have a chance, I can fulfill my dreams, and I can_ win_! I need to believe in Blaziken and Pichu! They can do this!_ With a sweaty hand, Colleen grabbed the slick surface of her first ever Poké Ball. "I believe in you! Blaziken, Pichu, let's finish this!"

Blaziken looked stronger than it was after its battle with Glacia's Glalie, and Pichu was sparking at her side like always, waiting for the challenge. Colleen couldn't help but smile at her two most loyal Pokémons' readiness to battle. She took a deep breath before calling out, "Let's do it, guys! Blaziken, Flamethrower! Pichu, Thunderbolt!"

Blaziken sent a massive Flamethrower at Metagross. The heat was strong, but the Iron Leg Pokémon was not out. Pichu's Thunderbolt seemed to have paralyzed Milotic, but Wallace quickly took care of that. "Milotic, Recover!" The Tender Pokémon's body glittered as it cured its paralysis problem.

"Metagross, Earthquake!"

"Pichu, Blaziken, jump and dodge!" Blaziken's powerful legs enabled it to jump before the ground began quaking, grabbing Pichu before it did as the Tiny Mouse Pokémon hung on for dear life. "Okay, Blaziken, come back down with a Blaze Kick! Pichu, leap off for a wide-scale Thunder!"

Blaziken came down from the ceiling at lightning speed while Pichu unleashed a massive Thunder attack in midair. The Blaze Pokémon's flaming leg made contact with Metagross' iron head and burned it, while Pichu's Thunder thoroughly electrified Milotic while getting Metagross a bit at the same time. Both Pokémon were much weaker.

"Metagross, hang in there!" Steven called out. "Psychic!"

"You, too, Milotic! Surf!"

As Blaziken's body was taken over by Metagross' Psychic, Colleen saw her trump card that flash of a moment and her eyes widened. It would end the battle for good! "Blaziken, quick, use Blast Burn! Pichu, use the Surf attack with your Volt Tackle!"

Blaziken gave a roar and unleashed a massive Blast Burn attack that engulfed Metagross through its Psychic attack, while Pichu dashed through Milotic's Surf with Volt Tackle to give it another good shock. Blaziken and Pichu both took a knee afterwards, the powerful attacks they'd managed to release taking their toll.

Thankfully, Metagross and Milotic were panting as a result of the attacks, as well. Colleen held her breath. Her opponents half looked like they would faint, half like they would keep fighting. If they could keep fighting, it was all over for Blaziken and Pichu, who clearly couldn't handle another attack. Everyone in the stadium waited for seconds that seemed like an eternity, until . . .

Metagross and Milotic fell forward, unconscious.

The stadium was quiet, then suddenly erupted into cheers and applause. Mounds of confetti began to fall from the ceiling, and Colleen was pleasantly shocked as the announcer said in a rather awed voice, "Metagross and Milotic are unable to battle! Pichu and Blaziken win, and Colleen Rose of Littleroot Town is now a new Hoenn League Champion!"

"YES!" Colleen screamed, about to let out the rest of her Pokémon before remembering the others had all fainted. She cried anyway, "Awesome job, everyone! _We won!_"

"_Blaze,_" Blaziken uttered weakly, but there was a small smile on its face as Colleen hugged it. Pichu used the last of its energy to bound into its Trainer's arms and hug it.

Wallace and Steven shared a smile before walking over to Colleen. "You beat _both_ of us, that sure doesn't happen every day!" Wallace exclaimed, shaking her hand. "Congratulations, Hoenn Champion Colleen Rose!"

"Welcome to the Hoenn League," Steven congratulated warmly, shaking Colleen's hand as well before patting a thoroughly exhausted Blaziken and Pichu's head. He was smiling at her and her Pokémon in such a tender way that Colleen's heart turned to mush. She felt her cheeks redden and the more she tried to get rid of it, the worse it got.

Wallace was watching Steven and Colleen with a huge smile on his face, stroking his chin. "Hey, you two done ogling each other yet? You can do that and a lot more when we're off stage."

Steven blinked in confusion while Colleen immediately looked in a different direction with a full-out blush on her face. "Wallace, I was only congratulating her—" Steven explained, but Wallace shook his head, grinning. Ash, Pikachu, May, Max, and Brock came down from the stands as people began to exit, giving their congrats.

"You were awesome, Colleen!" May exclaimed, embracing the older girl. Pichu gave an indignant squeak. "Oops, sorry, Pichu!"

"Those five years of training really paid off!" Brock added.

"Thanks," Colleen replied breathlessly, cradling Pichu and recalling Blaziken for a rest.

"That was a great battle!" Ash commented with a huge grin. "Now I know what I'm up against, be ready for me!"

Pikachu smiled and said, "_Pika-chu!_"

All of the Hoenn Champions laughed at that. "Another day, Ash, I'm sure we're all worn out!" Steven remarked. "That was an intense battle."

Colleen nodded. "I still can't believe it, though . . . I won!"

"You deserved it," Steven smiled. "I thought you would do well."

Wallace grinned. "Well, Colleen," he began, and Colleen wanted to wipe that grin off his face for some strange reason. "To celebrate someone entering the Hoenn League, we usually hold a little party. A ball, if you will. It'll be tomorrow night. All of the Pokémon Leagues will attend, among others. It'll be a formal affair, of course, and, since you're the Champion being crowned—" Wallace's grin grew even wider. "—you'll have to lead the dance."

"A _dance?_" Colleen echoed incredulously.

"Yup," Wallace chuckled. "You'll have to dance with one of the Hoenn Champions, too, since you're a girl, and that honor will be bestowed—" The Water-type Champion slung an arm around his Steel-type companion. "—upon none other than _Steven_ here!"

"Me?" Steven repeated, looking confused again. "Wallace, you're Champion, too—"

"Oh, no, I can't dance with Colleen, buddy." Wallace winked. "It's not a matter of _looks_ or anything, Colleen, but I think—" A mischievous gleam twinkled in Wallace's eye. "—that both of you would prefer to danced with _each other_, am I right?"

"_Wallace!_"

**A/N: It just fits that Wallace was the teasing type XD Well, Colleen's a Hoenn League Champion! But the story is far from over . . . please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yeah, it's been a really long time . . . but on to Colleen and the gang! BTW I'm just assuming May's last name is Maple, and Altering Cave was in Emerald (as well as FR/LG) that had only Zubat unless you had a Mystery Gift**

**Disclaimer: Pokémon . . . is still not mine.**

* * *

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 4**

"Brock, _get over here_," Max insisted tiredly the next afternoon, dragging the older boy by the ear. Brock was drooling over Nurse Joy after Colleen healed her Pokémon.

"Um . . . does he always do that?" Colleen asked May and Ash, flustered.

"Talk about it," the two answered, rolling their eyes.

"Brock drools over almost every girl he meets," Max explained, still holding a struggling Brock by the ear.

"_Especially_ Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny," Ash sighed. "He was like that when we were travelling in Kanto and Johto, too." Pikachu nodded.

"Wallace has a similar situation," Steven said, pointing at Wallace, who had disappeared outside. "Except it's the _girls_ that drool over _him_."

Colleen giggled when she heard Wallace's slightly panicking voice wafting through the open door: "Well, it was wonderful to make the acquaintance of a lovely young woman like yourself, Miss Jennifer, but I _really_ should be going, I mean, as the Champion of Hoenn I have _so_ much to do . . ."

"Well, Colleen and I are going to set off now," May declared, linking arms with Colleen. "We're going to find our dresses!"

"_Pichu pi!_" Pichu added, being held in Colleen's arms.

"And Pichu's," May laughed, tickling Pichu. "See you all later!"

"Be careful, you two," Brock reprimanded. "And don't get into trouble!"

"We don't want out newest Hoenn League Champion to get hurt, do we?" Steven said with a gentle smile directed at Colleen.

"Or her friend," Ash added, focusing on May.

Both girls blushed under the two boys' gazes.

Pikachu noticed the awkwardness. "_Pika pi!_" it imitated Ash, waving at the two girls. Everyone loosened up and laughed.

"We'll be careful!" Colleen and May chorused, waving as they set off.

"Steven worries about you a lot, doesn't he?" May commented nonchalantly once they were outside of the Pokémon Center.

Colleen flushed. "I guess . . . I've known him for only about a month now."

"Really?" May looked suddenly interested. "How'd you meet?"

"Well . . ." Colleen thought back to the first time she'd seen the young gray-haired man and smiled. ". . . Mr. Stone—Steven's dad—needed me to deliver a letter to Steven. Steven was supposed to be in Granite Cave, but he wasn't there! So after beating Juan, the last Gym Leader, I headed to another cave I remembered visiting—Altering Cave. So I went to Route 103—the part on the east side of the water—entered the cave, and I found him. Steven felt bad his dad made a fourteen-year old kid trek all over to find him, so he decided to travel along with me. We became good friends."

May noticed how fondly Colleen had told her all this, and her suspicions became even stronger. "Colleen . . . do you mind if I ask you something?"

"No," Colleen replied.

"Do you . . . think you . . . _like_ Steven?"

The question hung in the air strangely. Colleen immediately opened her mouth and said, "Of course n—"

Colleen started to think as the question sunk in. _Do I . . . like Steven? That's ridiculous! But . . . I _have_ been feeling strange around him lately . . ._ "Why would you think that?"

May shrugged. "Just a feeling. It's just . . ." May turned to face Colleen. ". . . you're acting the way I do around Ash when you're around Steven."

"Ash?" Colleen asked. Her eyes widened in comprehension. "You mean . . . you like Ash?"

May nodded, blushing. "We met on my first day as a Pokémon Trainer. Ash's Pikachu was sick, and he went to Professor Birch for help. I was on my way to Professor Birch for my starter Pokémon—Torchic. Later, when Pikachu was better, it battled Team Rocket and let out a Thunderbolt attack that fried my bike. I've been traveling with him since." May sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair. "I've been saying it's 'cause I want repayment for my bike, but . . ."

"Oh, I see," Colleen said.

Colleen and May went quiet, and Colleen was still mulling over May's question. _Whenever I look at Steven, I blush. I _have_ been acting funny, and I try not to look at him. Maybe May is right! It all fits . . ._ Colleen thought back to Wallace. _Oh, no! Wallace was teasing us the other day—is it that obvious?! Maybe he knows, too!_

"May, I don't think you need to worry about Ash," Colleen said to break the silence. "I'm pretty sure he has strong feelings about you."

"Why would he? He's all focused on being the world's greatest Pokémon Master . . ."

"Didn't you hear what he said? When we left, he's like, 'Or her friend.'"

"That was _after_ what Steven said about you. Are you sure you don't like him?"

"Okay, fine, I might, but—"

May smirked. "Told you so. I think Steven likes you."

"And why would he?"

"You heard what _he_ said before what Ash said, right? He's like, 'We don't want out newest Hoenn League Champion to get hurt, do we?' That was so cute and romantic!"

Colleen blushed. "Steven's really nice and caring, believe me. He would have said the same to anyone."

"Right," May answered skeptically. "He didn't say it to me. And, it is _so _coincidental that Wallace made it so that you two have to dance with each other tonight."

"Wallace was teasing," Colleen replied indignantly, turning redder.

"Are you two Miss Colleen Rose and Miss May Maple?" The girls jumped, and a blue-haired woman with sparkling green eyes looked down at the two after scanning a list. The girls nodded.

"Wonderful!" the woman cried, shaking the girls' hands. "I'm Isabelle Sanchez, but call me Bella. Nice to meet you, Colleen and May! And Pichu!"

"Nice to meet you, too," May and Colleen said together. Pichu waved and cried, "_Pi pi pi chu!_"

"Now, let us go get your dresses!" Bella led the girls inside the shop. Colleen actually had to shield her eyes; the effect of seeing over a million colors all at once first thing you entered the store was quite blinding.

"Isn't it _lovely_?" Bella breathed, and Colleen saw her gesturing towards the rainbow ocean of dresses. "So many colors and styles!"

"_Piiichuu . . ._" Pichu groaned, covering its eyes. May and Colleen stifled their giggles.

"Please, feel free to scour the whole store, dears," Bella said with a flourish towards the racks. "Have fun!"

"Thank you!" Colleen and May said.

"_Piiiiiichu!_" Pichu called. The trio set out through the racks.

"Colleen, you need something princess-like!" May decided. She stopped and eyed Colleen. "You've got a good slim frame, nice pink hair—" Her eyes widened. "Perfect! Let's get you something mint green! Your eyes are that color, so it'll be really pretty! And light pink goes well with mint green."

"If you say so, May. I'm not good with fashion and all that," Colleen admitted.

"Well, you have a cool Trainer outfit," May said.

"I like yours," Colleen added. "Sporty. Just like . . ." She smirked. "Ash."

May flushed. "Oh, be quiet," she scolded, but teasingly. "Now, let's head over to the green section. I'll get a sky blue dress, and the blue section's right next to the green. Then we'll get pink for Pichu in super-small size." The girls passed rows of red, pink, orange, yellow, gold, brown, and white dresses until they reached the calming green row.

"Spring green . . . hunter green . . . forest green . . . lime green . . ." Colleen muttered as she sifted through the rack.

"_Pichu . . . Pichu . . . Pichu . . ._" Pichu said as it pulled the dresses—with much difficulty—apart.

"Oh!" May moved the other green dresses aside. "Here's a mint green section!"

"Cool!" Colleen looked over. May moved the dresses apart so Colleen could choose.

"Hey, here's a pretty one!" May lifted one dress of the rack. It was the exact shade of mint green as Colleen's eyes. The sleeves were three ruffles made of rose-colored (the same shade as her hair) sheers that were connected to a thin mint bodice which had a single rose sheer on the straight neckline and a criss-crossing pink ribbon that was tied in a small bow peeking out from under the sheer ruffle. The bodice flowed elegantly into a graceful, plain mint skirt.

"_Pichu!_" Pichu cried out happily. "_Pichu pi chu!_"

"I love it!" Colleen exclaimed. "I'll take it!"

"But first . . ." May held up her hand. "Do you have the shoes?"

"Yup." May held up one finger.

"Some sort of jewelry?"

"A choker necklace, bracelet, and earrings."

"Good. In pink, right?"

"Yes." May held up the second finger.

"And lastly . . . will Steven like it?"

Colleen blushed. "Um . . . I don't know?"

May winked. "Just kidding, Colleen. Of course he'll like it! This dress was _made_ for you. Knock Steven out tonight with your beauty!" Pichu punched its tiny yellow fist into the air supportively.

"Okay, okay," Colleen giggled. "Now, for _you_ to get an impressive dress for Ash."

"I tease you, then you tease me," May laughed. "Well, let's hop over a couple feet."

The blue rack soothed Colleen's eyes. She glanced at May—May had sky blue eyes, so a sky blue dress would be nice. She clutched her own dress carefully as she sifted through the racks.

"May! Check this one out!" Colleen held up the dress in front of May, with Pichu's help. It had a slight puff to the sleeves, which was tied around the end with a dark blue ribbon and fringed out under it. The bodice had a dark blue ribbon a little below the neckline, from where light blue lace-covered cloth formed the rest of the bodice and the skirt. The bottom of the skirt had the same navy blue ribbon to finish the dress off.

"Adorable!" May squealed. "What do you think, Pichu?"

Pichu nodded in agreement and gave a tiny thumbs-up. "_Pi!_"

"Then this one's a winner!" May took the dress and laid it on her arm.

"Now it's your turn!" Colleen patted Pichu's head and Pichu rubbed its pink cheek affectionately against her hand. "Pink or yellow, Pichu? Nod for pink, shake for yellow."

Pichu nodded.

"Pink it is, then!" Colleen and May walked back to the pink section.

"Whoa," Colleen said suddenly, shielding her eyes from a section of identical blinding magenta dresses with white lace. Pichu ducked its head under Colleen's arm.

"Yikes, no wonder they have so many duplicates," May commented, swishing the bright pinks out of the way. "I bet they're not selling."

A woman then swooped out of nowhere and asked her young daughter in a honey-sweet tone, "How will _this_ one be, darling?" and picked up the exact dress Colleen had seen.

"This one, Mamma!" the girl cheered.

The woman gave Colleen and May a look pointedly. "You two girls there! Isn't this an absolutely _lovely_ dress for my _lovely_ daughter?"

"Of course, ma'am!" Colleen covered quickly.

"The _very_ best!" May agreed.

The woman just gave them another look and trotted away.

Colleen and May looked at each other incredulously and laughed, wary of the woman only a few feet away. "Anyway . . ."

"_Pichu!_" Pichu cried out. It pointed a finger at a tiny dress hidden in the explosion of magenta. Colleen picked it up. It was the color of Pichu's cheeks and made of chiffon. The sleeves were two puffs, and the dress was basic flowing design. Colleen held it up against Pichu—it would fit perfectly!

"It's cute, Pichu!" Colleen said. "What do you think, May?"

"Perfect!" May said. "So we're done!"

May and Colleen entered the short line, and quickly paid for their new dresses. As they walked out of the store with their bags, Colleen checked her PokéNav. "It's four o'clock—what time does the ball start?"

"Wallace said six, but we're supposed to meet the boys in an hour."

"Okay," Colleen said. She spotted an ice cream stand a few steps away. "Want ice cream?"

"Sure!" The two girls headed to the ice cream stand.

"One Choconilla Zigzagoon and one Surprise Spinda, please," Colleen requested, holding out the money. The vendor took the money, reached into the cooler, and pulled out a Zigzagoon-shaped ice cream and a Spinda-shaped ice cream. He handed them their treats wordlessly and the girls set off.

"What flavor's Surprise Spinda this time?" Colleen asked, licking the chocolate part of the ice cream.

May tasted it and grinned. "Spinda Berry. Not bad, really."

"I got Spinda Strawberry, Spinda Cherry, and Spinda Blender Berry some times."

"I had Spinda Super-Special once." May grimaced. "It tasted really weird."

The two girls decided to head back early, and found the boys done shopping, too. Wallace had come back from his excursion, as well.

"Now, everybody has got about one and a half hours to dress up!" Wallace directed. "The Pokémon League is a couple minutes away, so let's go and get ready! I'll start greeting guests. Come to the dance floor at _six exactly_, okay, Steven, Colleen?"

Steven and Colleen nodded, Colleen keeping her eyes down determinedly and thinking furiously. _Now that I'm sure of my feelings, how can I look at Steven . . . let alone_ dance_ with him?!_

* * *

**A/N: Ooh long chappy. Well, I'll try updating sooner, but I'm busy the next weeks—STAR Testing's starting soon. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here's another chapter 'cause it's super likely I won't update for a long time—like I said last time: STAR Testing. Ugh. **** Well, Friday our school had a great field trip, and I was working on homework all of today, so tomorrow's my "study day." XD Enjoy! Some notes: I'm collectively calling the Kanto and Johto Elite Fours the Silver League.**

**Disclaimer: I may own the Blaziken, Pichu, Feraligatr, Salamence, Mightyena, and Espeon in my games, but I don't own Pokémon. Not by a long shot.**

* * *

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 5**

The seven Trainers and two Pokémon walked back to the Hoenn League building, Colleen making sure she wasn't next to Steven. _I can't believe that as soon as I found out my feelings, I'm avoiding Steven. Come on, Colleen, you're gonna have to _dance_ with Steven, so you have to at least be able to stand next to him! Now _go_!_

Colleen looked up—at the wrong time. Steven gave her that gentle smile that was driving her nuts. Colleen blushed, attempted to smile, and averted her gaze again. _Argh . . . finding out your feelings about someone sure makes you a self-conscious idiot . . ._

As promised, the group was at the Hoenn League building soon enough. Wallace, Steven, Ash, Pikachu, Max, and Brock headed one way while Colleen, May, and Pichu headed another.

"This is such a pretty room!" Colleen exclaimed. The room was huge, with a king-size canopy bed, a decorative hall leading to an extravagant bathroom, two spacious closets, a white marble dresser, and a couple full-length mirror.

"So fancy!" May breathed. "And this is the girls' _guest room_!"

"The Pokémon League sure knows how to treat visitors," Colleen commented. She put Pichu down on the bed and giggled as Pichu started jumping up and down on it. _Pichu's a little Pokémon, so I'm sure it's okay._

"Okay, Pichu, let's see how your dress fits!" Colleen took the small pink dress out of the shopping bag and pulled it over Pichu's head. Pichu poked its arms through the puffy sleeves and straightened out the dress.

"Pichu, you're so cute!" Colleen squealed immediately, clapping her hands together. "May, come look at Pichu!"

May came out of the bathroom, changed into her dress. She had her hair up in two pigtails with sky blue pom-poms, and the stray front hairs were braided on either side with two sky blue bows (A/N: Imagine May's hairstyle when she was dancing with that random dude in _Lucario and the Mystery of Mew_ XD). She almost screamed, "_Pichu, you are so adorable!_"

Pichu smiled cutely and cried out, "_Pichu Pichu!_"

"You look pretty, too, May!" Colleen said. She smiled slyly. "I bet you my seat as a new League Champion that Ash will ask you to dance."

"Suuuure." May nodded sardonically. "That's as likely as Steven making out with you tonight."

Colleen exploded into coughing, and spluttered, "You do know the age gap between us, right?"

"What, five years? That's _nothing_ in love."

"That's a lot! And I'm serious, May!" Colleen wiped her streaming eyes. "Ash _will_ ask you."

"Okay," May grinned. "If Ash _doesn't_ ask me to dance, you owe me . . . a shopping spree."

"Deal," Colleen challenged. "You don't owe me anything if he asks you, 'cause I know he will."

"In my dreams!" May scoffed. "Anyway, you get your dress on! You're the belle of the ball tonight, and you've got someone to impress!" May ushered Colleen into the bathroom.

Colleen carefully folded her Trainer outfit and folded it into a drawer. She undid her side braids and slipped into the dress, eyeing herself critically. Her hair was still a tiny bit wavy from wearing the braids, but that was fine. The dress wasn't too baggy, or too thin. _I look nice, but . . . will Steven like it? _Her heart started pounding in spite of herself.

Colleen took her jewelry box out of her bag and took out the bracelet, necklace, and earring set. As she set down the box, a slick photo waltzed down to the floor. Colleen picked it up curiously and her eyes widened.

It was a picture of her when she was about two—with her mother and father. Colleen's eyes moistened as she stared into the emerald green eyes of her father, and the ocean blue eyes of her mother. The three looked so happy, and baby Colleen was laughing in the picture. She remembered the day: her mother and father wanted her to be an awesome Pokémon Trainer, as her father was Petalburg's Gym Leader until he disappeared. _Mom . . . Dad . . . I've become Champion, see? I fulfilled your dreams . . . but you're not here with me. I will find you someday, I promise you. And we'll be a happy family again._ Colleen stared at the picture when May's laughing made her snap out of her trance.

_Colleen, you've got to worry about the ball right now._ Colleen quickly fastened the jewelry and took one last look at the picture as she headed out.

"Oh, you're so pretty!" May cried. "Colleen, how can Steven _not_ like you?"

Colleen flushed, her mind still on the picture and now on Steven. "Come on, let's just go." She picked up Pichu, who affectionately hugged her, as if to relieve her stress.

Colleen's heart hammered harder as she, Pichu, and May neared the door to the ballroom. Pichu could hear it—it tried to soothe its Trainer, but Colleen couldn't stop feeling nervous.

"Calm down, Colleen," May whispered once they'd reached the door. "You go in after me, okay?"

Colleen nodded, throat tight. She opened the door, and walked in after May. She clutched Pichu to her chest.

Upon entering Colleen let out a breath she didn't know she was holding—Steven wasn't there yet. Ash, Max, Brock, and Pikachu were there, along with some few guests. Wallace was greeting people at the door.

"Hey, May!" Max called out once he saw the girls. "Hey, Colleen! You both look great!"

"Pichu, too," Brock added as Colleen let Pichu down so it could meet Ash's Pikachu. The two electric mouse Pokémon skittered off. "Nice dresses!"

"Thanks," May and Colleen smiled. May was blushing at Ash's prince-like outfit. "You guys do, too."

A group of people Colleen vaguely recognized walked up to the group. She'd seen them in books, but not in person.

The red-haired man held out his hand. "Hello, Colleen," he said. "We haven't met, but I'm Lance—Champion of Kanto and Johto. These people here are Bruno, Agatha, Will, and Karen. We are in the Elite Four of the Silver League."

Colleen shook Lance's hand. "Nice to meet you all."

"We offer our sincerest congratulations on you're becoming Champion," Will said, bowing deeply.

"I trust you will challenge the Silver League soon?" Agatha asked.

"Of course!" Colleen smiled.

"We'd love a good challenge," Bruno remarked.

"Well, we'll be heading back to our seats," Karen said, a bit grudgingly. "Congrats." The five disappeared into the growing crowd.

"Ah, I see you've become acquainted with the Silver League." Another group of five walked up to Ash, May, Max, Pikachu, Pichu, Brock, and Colleen. The woman who spoke had blonde hair longer than Colleen's. "Hello, Colleen. I am Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh. Here with me I have Aaron, Bertha, Flint, and Lucian."

"Hello, Cynthia," Colleen greeted politely. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"Congratulations on your achievement," Lucian said.

"If you can challenge the Silver League, come and challenge the Sinnoh League, as well!" Flint invited.

"I will," Colleen assured him.

"It'll be a fight I'll look forward to," Bertha smiled.

"See you soon!" Aaron said as the five walked away. Colleen surveyed the crowd—she saw Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh's Gym Leaders, but Hoenn's were still missing. So was Hoenn's Elite Four, and Steven.

Over the next fifteen minutes, several people congratulated Colleen. Most of them were Gym Leaders.

And then, Colleen was hug-tackled by a person behind her.

"Colleen!" the familiar voice cried. "I can't believe you're Champion!"

"_Brendan?_" Colleen turned around and found the white-haired boy wearing a formal sort of tuxedo grinning at her. "Brendan! It's been so long! Oh . . ." She turned to Ash, May, Max, and Brock. "This is my childhood friend Brendan. Brendan, this is Ash, May, Max and Brock."

"Hey, Brendan!" Ash greeted. "Are you a Pokémon Trainer?"

"You betcha!" Brendan nodded. "My pride and joy is my Swampert! I've also got Ludicolo, Slugma, Tropius, Gengar, and Gallade."

"Wanna battle sometime?"

"Sure!" Brendan turned to May, Max, and Brock. "Hello!"

"Hi," the three chorused. Brendan then turned back to Colleen, grinning. "How have you been, old buddy?"

"Pretty well, I guess. I can't believe I'm here!"

"Yeah!" Brendan nodded. "Did that stubborn Croconaw of yours evolve yet?"

"It did!" Colleen exclaimed. "It listens to me, and it's an awesome Feraligatr now!"

"Last time Ethan and I saw you, you were facing Norman! Which was what—two years ago?"

"I know!" Colleen exclaimed, but worry was sparking in her. Brendan had said Ethan and a bitter edge came to his voice. She voiced the question she was thinking: "But Brendan . . . where's Ethan?"

Brendan stiffened, and caramel golden eyes glinted. "Ethan . . . couldn't make it."

Colleen raised her eyebrows. "Couldn't make it?" she repeated.

"I'll give you . . . details later," Brendan promised. "But for now, I'm going back to my seat. See ya around!"

Colleen watched Brendan's back, frowning. _Ethan . . . what happened that made Brendan so tensed when I mentioned you?_

But Colleen had bigger problems to worry about now.

"Sorry I'm late!" The familiar voice yanked every other thought out of Colleen's head, and Colleen slowly turned around. You could have fit a Wailord into her mouth.

Though Colleen knew Steven would be dressing up, she hadn't expected him to look so handsome! Steven was wearing an outfit similar to the legendary Sir Aaron's, except without a hat and the gloves. Steven's outfit was also in varying shades of blue and gray, one shade being the same color as his eyes. _Oh, goodness, he looks so dashing! Argh, now I'll struggle to keep my eyes off him . . . being in love is so hard!_

"No problem!" May said cheerily, 'accidentally' nudging Colleen. "We were just talking!"

Steven's warm grey eyes swept over Colleen, and Colleen struggled not to look away. "You look lovely, Colleen," he smiled genuinely. Colleen kept down the blush and replied with a slightly shaky voice, "Thanks. You look great, too!"

Steven handed Colleen her badge case, and Colleen warmed when his hand touched her palm. "You'll need this when we crown you an official Champion of Hoenn."

"When's that?"

"Before the dance. So in about . . ." Steven checked his PokéNav quickly. "Five minutes."

Colleen's heart beat even harder, and this time it wasn't only because of Steven.

"Well, I'll see you then," Steven said with a lingering look at Colleen. He smiled again. "I hear Wallace calling me." And Steven walked off.

"He looks pretty nice, dontcha think?" May whispered teasingly.

"Like a prince . . ." Colleen breathed, staring off in Steven's direction.

"Now calling Colleen Rose to the stage . . ." Wallace's voice called out over the microphone. May winked and said, "See you!" The four walked off, and Pichu darted back into Colleen's arms. Colleen stepped onto the stage, glad Pichu was with her. Steven stood next to her, while Wallace was in front, holding the microphone. Colleen tried to stand unflinchingly under the gaze of the crowd.

"Don't let the crowd get to you," Steven said. The two glanced into each other's eyes. Steven broke into an encouraging smile. "You're a great Trainer, so you've got nothing to worry about.

"Hello, everyone!" Wallace said grandly, simultaneously trying drown out the fangirls' screaming and swooning. "Today, we will be celebrating the crowning of a new Champion! Our spotlight tonight is on Miss Colleen Rose of Littleroot Town. This fifteen-year-old girl fought bravely and valiantly and has defeated the Hoenn League! Colleen, would you release your battle partners?"

Colleen gripped all her Poké Balls, and threw Pichu along with them. "Come on out, everyone!"

All of Colleen's Pokémon burst energetically out of their Poké Balls, and the crowd applauded and cheered.

Wallace whispered something to Steven, and gave him the microphone with a smirk. Steven rolled his eyes and continued on, wincing slightly as more fangirls screamed (A/N: Count me one of them XD), "Colleen, as proof of your conquest over the Hoenn League, we present you with a final token—the Hoenn Crown Badge!" Colleen took it as a cue, and took out her purple badge base and opened it. Steven stuck the crown-shaped badge with a ruby, sapphire, and emerald adorning it onto the top part and announced, "Colleen Rose, congratulations—you are now officially a Champion of the Hoenn League!"

Everyone cheered, and the trio of Hoenn Champions stepped off the stage. Colleen walked over to platform where her Pokémon stood and looked on proudly as people came up to see her Pokémon. She laughed as she saw some of the women fawning over Pichu, and most of the men commenting on her Mightyena and Espeon's shiny coats. Some of the tougher-looking people admired her other three Pokémon. Brendan could be seen in the crowd, pointing at Feraligatr and giving Colleen a thumbs-up.

Someone tapped her shoulder, and Colleen turned around to find her eyes on Steven again. Her heart jumped as Steven lifted his arms and placed something at the top of her head. Colleen looked at him curiously, and he produced a mirror, the warmth of his smile washing over her.

It was a petite gold crown, shaped with beautiful curves and watermelon tourmaline, a beautiful form of tourmaline in a pink-and-green merging color, shaped into tiny, delicate flowers. Colleen looked at Steven with a smile and said, "It's so pretty!"

"I've been waiting for a female Champion to give this to," Steven explained. "I think there hasn't been one for half a century." He broke into smile and looked beyond Colleen's mint green eyes. "You've been the only one so far, and I'm proud to give this to you."

Then Steven did something Colleen totally didn't expect—he hugged her. Colleen's eyes widened, inhaling the faint cologne emanating from Steven's body. "Colleen, from the first day we met, I knew you were something different. You had that determination, that passion, that love in your eyes, and I knew it would make you a wonderful Pokémon Trainer. And I was right. Look at how far you've come!" he said, his warm breath tickling her ear and Colleen struggled not to shudder with nostalgia. Steven's arms tightened around her. "Colleen . . . you don't know how proud of you I am, so very proud. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you, too."

Colleen's body turned rigid, but for only the slightest second. Long enough for

Steven to discreetly notice. _My . . . parents . . ._ Colleen let the warmth of Steven's embrace try to evaporate her sadness, but it was to no avail. She closed her eyes, etching this moment in her memory.

To her regret, Steven withdrew, looking at Colleen with pride. Colleen smiled at him and said in a voice no higher than a whisper, "Thank you." Steven just gave her another quick hug.

"Well," he began, the trademark smile playing about his pleasant facial features. Steven bowed, his hand extended, and asked formally, "Princess and Champion Colleen—may I have this dance?"

Colleen smiled, her heart thudding. She took Steven's warm hand and replied, "Of course you can." Steven straightened, and the two, hand-in-hand, stood at the front of the dance floor. Steven's left arm circled her waist, and Colleen put her left hand on his left shoulder. The two's right hands remained entwined (_Thank goodness my hands don't sweat!_). Colleen heard her Pokémon cheering her on, and Wallace and May were both cheering, too. Steven and Colleen heard it, and both of them smiled at each other.

"Just follow my lead," he said, looking at Colleen fondly. "Don't be nervous; pretend it's just you and me."

_Just me and you . . . _Colleen nodded, and tensed for the moment that she and Steven would actually begin to dance, the moment she would live her fantasy.

And as the waltz music began, that fantasy was unraveled.

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**A/N: Sorry, slight cliffie. I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter! XD Next chapter's gonna be fun, too. I promise I'll try my best to update soon! So stick around, and please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I survived STAR Testing! I've also reached 13 reviews—thanks to EmoxJerk, Advanceshipper Forever, Penelope Cobblestone, Chihuahua Bat, i-wish-799, and BurningSaphireFlames for reviewing! I'm really grateful!**

**BTW: The stylized paragraphs are the song. **

**Disclaimer: I have a whole collection of Pokémon [plushies]! But Pokémon isn't mine **** ********************************************************************************

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 6**

The beginning of the song was wordless, so Steven and Colleen just moved around a bit. Colleen had a crash course in waltzing that moment; she moved up when Steven moved back, and moved back when Steven stepped up. _Simple enough,_ Colleen thought, starting to enjoy this and looking up at Steven instead of his feet. Steven was looking down at her, smiling.

Just when Colleen started getting the hang of it, the song began to sing.

_Today was a fairytale . . ._

A few people screamed and cheered, and pretty soon the whole crowd was making some noise. Colleen heard her Pokémon and May, Ash, Brock, Max, Pikachu, Wallace, and even Brendan's cheering amidst the liveliness.

_Today was a fairytale,_

_You were the prince, _

_I used to be the damsel in distress . . ._

Steven and Colleen moved around the dance floor a little faster and more fluently. Colleen's heart beat a little faster with each step.

_You took me by the hand,_

_And you picked me up at six._

_Today was a fairytale . . ._

_Today was a fairytale,_

_I wore a dress,_

_You wore a dark grey T-shirt,_

_You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess,_

_Today was a fairytale . . ._

"Okay, Colleen, this is where it gets fancier," Steven said as his back passed the spectators. "Just follow my lead, you'll know what to do."

As the next words started, Steven began to lift Colleen into the air by her waist rhythmically. It was just like a little jump. After her heart exploded all the way to Kanto, Colleen just followed her instincts. Every time she felt both of Steven's hands at her waist, she jumped a teeny bit. From the cheers in the crowd, she could tell she was doing it right.

_I can't believe I'm doing this!_ Colleen smiled, her heart fluttering as she caught Steven's gaze. _I'm dancing with Steven! I'm _actually_ dancing, with no experience whatsoever, and I'm dancing with _Steven Stone_!_

_Time slows down whenever you're around . . . _

_But can you feel the magic in the air?_

_It must have been the way you kissed me!_

_Fell in love when I saw you standing there,_

_It must have been the way,_

_Today was a fairytale,_

_It must have been the way,_

_Today was a fairytale!_

Colleen completed one last fancy twirl, and the two fell back into calmer dancing. Colleen felt Steven's heart pounding through his suit, and their hearts beat in unison.

_Today was a fairytale,_

_You've got a smile,_

_That takes me to another planet,_

_Every move you make,_

_Everything you say is right,_

_Today was a fairytale . . ._

_Today was a fairytale,_

_All that I can say,_

_Is it's getting so much clearer,_

_Nothing made sense until the time I saw your face,_

_Today was a fairytale . . ._

Colleen braced herself as the tiny leaps came again, but this time, it was accompanied with some twirls, too. As soon as Colleen's feet hit the floor, she'd loosely grasp Steven's hand and follow through with a graceful twirl. So far, it was going very well.

_Time slows down whenever you're around,_

_Yeah, yeah . . ._

_But can you feel the magic in the air?_

_It must have been the way you kissed me!_

_Fell in love when I saw you standing there,_

_It must have been the way,_

_Today was a fairytale,_

_It must have been the way,_

_Today was a fairytale!_

"The song's ending soon," Steven said, smiling proudly at Colleen. "You're doing brilliantly!" Colleen smiled back. _If only Mom and Dad could see me now . . ._ Colleen quickly chased away the impending sadness by devoting her last dancing moments to losing herself in Steven's warm gray eyes.

_Time slows down whenever you're around,_

_I can feel my heart,_

_It's beating in my chest,_

_Did you feel it?_

_I can't put this down . . ._

_But can you feel the magic in the air?_

_It must have been the way you kissed me!_

_Fell in love when I saw you standing there,_

_It must have been the way,_

_But can you feel the magic in the air?_

_It must have been the way you kissed me!_

_Fell in love when I saw you standing there,_

_It must have been the way,_

_Today was a fairytale,_

_It must have been the way,_

_Today was a . . . fairytaaaaaaale!_

The waltz ended, and the crowd exploded into applause and shouting. Above all Colleen smiled at the raucous roars, squeals, mewls, and cries of her Pokémon. May and Wallace were whistling; Brendan, Ash, Brock, Max, and Pikachu were clapping loudly. Even the members of the Pokémon Leagues were dropping their tough and composed images for now, yelling their heads off. Steven and Colleen smiled into each other's eyes.

"You dance as beautifully as you look, Princess Colleen," Steven complimented, regaining his formality. His eyes twinkled at Colleen's blush.

"As do you, Prince Steven," Colleen said, returning the tease.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Steven Stone and Colleen Rose!" Wallace's voice echoed through the room. "A lovely waltz to the song _Today was a Fairytale_ by Taylor Swift!"

Colleen held Steven's hand and did a half-curtsey as Steven bowed. The two then stepped off the dance stage. The warmth of Steven's hand left as he headed to Steven. Colleen looked at her hand wistfully—the moment was over . . .

"_PICHU!_" Colleen was tackled in the chest by a canary yellow blur. Pichu rubbed its cheeks against its Trainer. "_Pi pi chu pi!_"

"_Blaziken!_" Blaziken added, running over to hug its Trainer.

"_Rrrr_," Mightyena growled, but its tone was friendly. It rubbed its head against Colleen's legs, as Espeon did. Feraligatr hugged the other side of Colleen, and Salamence rubbed its head against Colleen's arm.

"Awww, you guys . . ." Colleen smiled and hugged her Pokémon back. "I love you all, too. I couldn't have made it here without you. You aren't just my Pokémon—you guys are my best friends! I could never do anything to repay your friendship."

The Pokémon cried out in response.

"Now, honored guests, the food is served! Please help yourselves. Pokémon can be taken to the spacious yard to your left we have here at Ever Grande for occasions such as this! The yard is equipped with Pokémon food, playgrounds, and plenty of space to frolic and run!"

Ash, Pikachu, May, Max, Brock, Brendan, Wallace, and Steven came over to Colleen. "Come on out, everyone!" the Trainers yelled. About thirty Pokémon joined Colleen's.

"That was so pretty!" May squealed. "You guys danced so well!"

"Indeed," Wallace nodded. "Very beautiful. Steven, you nearly outshone my elegance!"

"Never knew you had it in you, Colleen," Brendan smiled.

"Thanks," Colleen grinned.

"It was nothing," Steven replied, a little distracted.

"Well, let's get something to eat!" Ash exclaimed. "I'm starving!"

"I'm with you!" Brock, Max, Brendan, and May chorused.

"You guys, go enjoy yourselves!" Ash said, beckoning to the Pokémon. "See you!"

The Pokémon nodded, and headed to the double doors on the other side of the room.

"We'll be getting some grub," May said. She winked. "See you later, Colleen!"

Colleen shook her head. _That May . . ._

"_Pichu?_" Colleen looked down; Pichu was tugging her dress skirt. She knelt down.

"What's the matter, Pichu? Why didn't you go with the others?"

"_Pi chu pi!_" Pichu looked up at Steven and motioned for him to kneel down, too. Steven did so, puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

"_Pi! Chu pi!_" Pichu held up Colleen's hand with one of its arms and Steven's with the other, then slipped the two hands into each other. Steven and Colleen looked at each other, cheeks heated.

"Pichu . . ."

Pichu shook its head defiantly. "_Pi, Pichu!_" it said firmly. Pichu pointed to the two hands, and put its two hands together.

"Pichu wants you guys to keep holding hands," Wallace said from out of nowhere. Colleen spared a glance at him; he had that mischievous smirk again. Pichu nodded fiercely.

"Oh . . ." Colleen looked at Pichu and her face softened. "Okay, Pichu. If it's alright with you, Steven."

"No problem," Steven smiled. "I'm honored to be holding the hand of a beautiful woman like yourself, _Princess_ Colleen." Colleen kept her blush down under Wallace's watchful eye. Wallace mouthed _FLIRT!_ in her direction.

Pichu's face brightened into a smile and hug-tackled Colleen again.

"Enjoy yourself out there, Pichu!" Colleen said as Pichu headed for the doors. "Keep the others out of trouble! And come back at ten!"

"_Piiiiiiiiiiichuuuuuu!_" Pichu called, darting through the doors.

"That Pichu of yours knows a lot more than you think, Colleen," Wallace commented slyly. He glanced at Steven and Colleen's linked hands with a composed sort joy. "Well, you guys are stuck together now, and I'm off for some food. See ya!" Wallace disappeared into the crowd.

"Well, let us get some food, too," Steven suggested. Colleen nodded, and she and Steven made their way through the crowd carefully.

"_Steven!_"

Steven's face paled and he froze. "Uh, oh . . ."

A short man with a purple suit and wavy grey hair popped out of the line, holding a plate of salad and chicken. His eyes twinkled a familiar grey. A _very_ familiar grey . . .

"_Son!_ I am so proud of you!" The man hugged Steven. "You are becoming a gentleman! You've taken your head out of those caves! Now I am_ proud_ to call you the heir of Devon Corporations!"

"Dad . . ." Steven said, his face red. Colleen flinched—she couldn't help it. Whenever she heard the words mom or dad, she'd be reminded of her parents. It made her feel bad that she'd flinch at a person's blessing, but it was an unintentional and impulsive action.

"Um . . ." Colleen said tentatively.

"Oh, Colleen, this is my dad, Mr. Kevin Stone," Steven introduced, and Colleen flinched before she could hold it. "He owns the Devon Corporations, which produced the PokéNav, Timer Balls, and Premier Balls. Dad, this is Colleen Rose."

"Hello, Mr. Stone," Colleen addressed politely, her body buzzing. _Steven looks quite a bit like his dad . . . they've got the same hair and eyes. _"Nice to meet you, sir."

Mr. Stone scanned Colleen. "Hello, Colleen! I see you are one of the new Hoenn Champions! Congratulations, very admirable. Lovely young girl you are!" Colleen blushed. Mr. Stone's gaze dropped to their linked hands and he jumped on Steven. "_Steven!_ You didn't tell me! Are you two together?! How long have you been going out?! My goodness, you've grown up so fast!"

Steven jumped a little at his father's sudden rant and reddened. "It's nothing like that, Dad, it's just—"

Mr. Stone just winked. "See you around, son. And you, too, Colleen!" He disappeared along with Wallace.

Steven ran his free hand through his hair. "Sorry, my dad's eccentric," he said with a small, apologetic smile. "He wants me to uphold his and the company's image . . ." Steven gave a sort of half-chuckle, half-sigh. "It's tough being the son of a wealthy businessman."

"No problem," Colleen said truthfully, smiling. "He seemed very kind. You're lucky you know your dad is alive and well."

Colleen's hand flew to her mouth. _Oh, shoot, what did I just blurt out?! _

Steven looked at Colleen with a strange expression on his face. "What?"

"Oh, nothing!" Colleen said airily. She was a pretty good liar if she put her mind to it. "Now, let's just go eat!"

Steven raised his eyebrows at her, but said nothing more. The two walked off to the food line and Colleen picked up a plate of Caesar salad drizzled with dressing and a can of Pepsi. After Steven had picked up his plate, he led the two to a table for five, where Lance and Cynthia were already sitting.

"Hello, Colleen," Cynthia said cheerily as Lance greeted Steven. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, very much," Colleen replied. She noticed the jolly presence absent from the table. "Where's Wallace?"

"Still choosing what to eat," Lance said, rolling his eyes. "That Wallace . . ."

After five minutes of eating in silence, Wallace seated himself at the table, apologizing for his lateness, and everyone ate quietly once again. The dances started about half an hour later, and Lance, Cynthia, and Wallace went off to dance. Colleen smiled and winked at May when she saw her dancing with Ash.

"I think Ash has a soft spot for May," Steven smiled when he saw them dancing. Colleen's breath stilled when she felt Steven unintentionally stroking the top of her hand with his thumb.

"Yeah," Colleen said breathlessly, trying to distract herself. "I think May does, too."

"It's so sweet," Steven remarked. "They're only ten years old, and it seems they've found love."

"Do you wonder if you'll ever find love?" The question had fallen from Colleen's lips before she could stop it, and she blushed.

"I think everyone does," Steven answered evenly. "I have. I always think I already know her, and eventually we'll find our feelings. I wonder who it is, though."

_Me?_ Colleen couldn't help asking herself. She shook herself. "Just one of life's mysteries."

"Yeah."

They fell silent, Colleen glancing at Steven every few minutes. His thumb was still drawing on her hand, and he kept his chin in his other hand. _He looks so dignified and handsome . . . I wonder if Steven's love will be me . . ._

Colleen blinked at fifteen till ten and saw Brendan heading towards her. "Colleen, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Colleen looked to Steven, who just nodded. "Okay," she replied, and stood up. Her hand slipped out of his, Colleen immediately regretting it. "I'll see you later, Steven."

Brendan led Colleen to a quiet corner. "So you asked me what happened to Ethan a while back," Brendan began nervously. "Well . . . Ethan's been missing for a month now."

"_What?_" Colleen gasped.

"We'd gone back to Littleroot to see Professor Birch and Mom and everybody, 'cause Ethan was acting really strange and I thought he was homesick. But that night, Ethan disappeared. I thought he'd left without me . . . but I haven't seen him since."

"Oh, no . . ."

Brendan sighed. "Well, that's the story. The Hoenn authorities are looking all over, calling it a kidnapping case, but nothing's turned up . . ."

Colleen looked down, tears clouding her eyes.

"Colleen, I just want to say . . . don't get all upset over this. It's not what Ethan would have wanted."

Colleen held herself up, forcing the tears back. "I'll try, Brendan."

"Well, I'll have to get going now—I have a ship back to Lilycove," Brendan said. He put a hand on Colleen's shoulder. "Be brave, Colleen. They'll find him." He hugged her briefly, and walked off into the growing crowd of people going.

Colleen walked back to Steven, keeping her chin up. Steven looked into her eyes with a curious look and said, "I'm going to see off the guests. Wallace wants you to go to bed."

"Okay . . ." Colleen replied. "Good night, Steven."

"Good night, Colleen." Colleen walked away to the girls' room, where May was already fast asleep. Colleen smiled—she'd tease her in the morning. She changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed.

After three hours of worrying, Colleen shook herself and decided to go to the balcony out by the back. She tiptoed out of the room quickly and greeted the cold night air. Colleen took a seat, looking up at the constellation of Arceus in the sky. _Ethan . . . where are you?_

**A/N: So-rry, I love the song Today was a Fairytale. Well, no note except REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Slightly fluffy chapter, sorry if it sucks ^.^; (I'm bad at fluff). A little warning—some more of the T-rated stuff comes in the chapters after this one, because the plot's getting complicated. Stick around please! Thanks for all your reviews too! **

**I can't believe Generation V's coming out! I'm dying to see the starters in detail!**

**Fun Fact: While I was typing this chapter, I misspelled 'shirt' as 'shit' every time I typed it (really! I kept count) XD**

**Disclaimer: . . . I have a new Weavile . . . **

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 7**

Colleen sighed heavily, and took her badge case out of her pocket. All the badges gleamed in the moonlight, especially her newfound Hoenn Crown Badge.

"Mom . . . Dad . . . I've accomplished your dream . . ." Colleen whispered to the night, taking the badge in her palm. "You've heard, right? I hope so . . . I'm coming for you, as soon as I can. I'll have to find out some more about Ethan, he's missing, too . . ."

Colleen stiffened when she felt something drape around her arms, and a soft voice said, "Colleen?"

The voice wasn't enough to make Colleen jump out of her skin, but it certainly startled her. She turned around to find Steven walking towards her.

"Steven?" Steven's hair was messy, and he was wearing a creased white collar shirt that cuffed at his elbows and black sports pants. Colleen drew in breath and looked away shyly when she saw Steven's (_rather nicely built_)chest teasing her—Steven's shirt wasn't buttoned. Colleen swallowed; in some deep, in-the-gutter-region of her mind, she was thinking, _God, he looks sexy!_ Colleen blushed and gave her head a quick shake.

"Sorry about my—er—inappropriate appearance," Steven said awkwardly, buttoning up part of his shirt immediately. "I was so tired I barely got my nightshirt on."

"No problem," Colleen said, breathing out. _Okay, Colleen, his shirt's back on, now out of the gutter . . ._ "But if you're so tired, why are you out so late?"

"Well . . . I was worried about you," Steven answered, his cheeks turning pink under the moonlight.

Colleen's cheeks reddened, too. _He was worried about me? As cute as that is . . . did he know what I was thinking about?!_ "Why would you be worried about me? Nothing's wrong!" Colleen gave a convincing-enough laugh. "And why would anything be? I mean, I just became a Champion!"

"Colleen . . . I've been observing you tonight. Whenever I mentioned anything related to parents, you'd stiffen up and look sad. And after Brendan talked to you, well . . . you were just depressed. What's wrong?"

Colleen sighed. Now that Steven knew, there wasn't much of a choice. "It's a bit of a long story."

"Well, we've got some time to kill," Steven smiled, motioning for Colleen to sit down. Colleen did so. "It's not a problem."

"Okay . . ." Colleen breathed out, wondering where to start. "Well . . . when I was little, my dad, Jacob Rose, was the eighth Hoenn Gym Leader. You might have heard of him—this was before Wallace and Juan were there. My mom, Opal Rose, was a great Trainer, and was offered a position in the Hoenn League, but my mom stayed home to look after me.

"My mom and dad both wanted me to be a great Trainer, too. They had high hopes for me, and they wanted me to become a Champion."

"Well that's great!" Steven said. "You've fulfilled your parents' dreams!"

"That's true, but when I was about three, my parents disappeared." Colleen's eyes pricked. "There was no trace of where they went, and the authorities have been trying to find them for almost thirteen years, but they've turned up nothing. I started to live with Brendan and his mom. Brendan and Ethan—I'll tell you about him later—have been my best friends forever." Colleen looked at her lap, her eyes prickling even more.

"That's terrible!" Steven gasped.

Colleen nodded. "A couple days before I began my journey, an officer came by. And he—he told me to give up hope. That my parents were missing too long to be alive. A-and he said they're c-canceling all r-rescue missions t-to find them. My p-parents are now considered . . . considered . . . de—"

Colleen choked, clenching her fists. She couldn't say it. The little choke-up sent a couple of fat tears splashing onto her trembling hands.

Steven softened. "Colleen . . ."

"A-and then Brendan . . . he told me that Ethan went missing. He's been g-gone for a m-month . . . and I'm worried that the s-same thing is g-going to happen t-to him . . ." A few more globs of water wet her hands.

"I promised myself . . . that when I st-started my P-Pokémon journey, I'd f-find Mom and D-Dad . . . p-prove that they're alive. B-but I can't help and wonder—can I do it?" Colleen was officially crying now. "I-I don't want to let M-Mom and D-Dad d-down, but wh-what if I don't have the c-courage—"

Colleen blinked, more tears rolling down her cheeks, when she smelled a faint, sweet scent envelop her. The side of her face was pressed to Steven's chest, her body encased in Steven's comforting arms.

"Colleen, you can do it," Steven's soothing voice told her. "I've never met anyone as strong-willed as you." He took Colleen's face in his caring hands and wiped away her tears. "Look me in the eyes and listen." Colleen submerged into the affectionate grey eyes. "_You can find your mom and dad_. I know you can. And Ethan, too. I'll help you. Don't let anyone shoot you down." Steven hugged her again. "Okay?"

"O-okay," Colleen smiled, blinking her tears away. Her eyes widened and her cheeks colored as Steven's lips pressed against her head.

"You smell nice," Steven remarked.

"Oh . . ." Colleen blushed. "You do, too."

Steven chuckled. "I don't smell like musty old caves, then?"

Colleen giggled. "Not at all! Why?"

"My dad said I smelled bad since I stayed in caves so much."

Colleen giggled again. "Your dad seems so nice."

"I'm sure your dad is really nice, too. I'd like to meet him one day. When we find him."

The 'we' Steven added made Colleen's heart fuzzy and warm. _He's so sweet . . ._ "Of course."

The two were silent, still in each other's embrace, until Steven noted, "It's really late, Colleen, we should probably go to sleep. Or Wallace is going to be nagging me tomorrow." Colleen laughed and drew away from Steven's embrace. "I'll walk you back."

Both of them got up, and Steven took Colleen's hand as they walked inside. They reached the girls' corridor too fast for Colleen's taste. Colleen slipped Steven's jacket off of her shoulders, folded it, and held it out to him. Steven chuckled as he took the jacket. "You are so cute sometimes."

Colleen blushed, caught completely off guard when Steven kissed her cheek. "Good night, my Princess."

Colleen smiled. "Good night, my Prince." _And I mean it._

Steven winked at her and walked back to the boys' corridor. Colleen slipped into the bedroom, and went back under the covers with a better feeling and the scent of Steven on her nose.

**A/N: Just a little fluffy chapter. **** Love fluff. Now some more serious stuff comes at these Trainers . . . please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, here are the more suspenseful chapters, and they start with Chapter 8! Please stick around! And, once again, thank you for the reviews—I have 20! Yay! Now onto the chap!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon, but only my Feraligatr, Weavile, Ho-oh, Snorlax, Electrode, and Gyarados in HeartGold and my Blaziken, Mightyena, Salamence, Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre in Emerald and my Charizard, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Zapdos, Mewtwo, and Articuno in LeafGreen. **

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 8**

Colleen woke up feeling amazingly happy. She'd dreamed of her encounter with Steven so much, she could've recited exactly what they'd said. Colleen stretched and hopped out of bed, making her bed with a few flourishes.

"And why are _you_ so cheery this morning?" Colleen looked around to see a bed-head May smiling and her sapphire eyes sparkling. Her brown hair was sticking in random directions.

"I should ask you the same," Colleen teased, pointing a finger at May. "Don't act like I didn't see it, you and Ash _did_ dance!"

May flushed. "Yeah, and you and Steven had some late-night talks going on," she countered slyly. "Don't say you didn't, I heard you!"

It was Colleen's turn to blush. "Okay, yeah, so what? I won the bet."

May sighed. "There went my shopping spree . . . but who cares? I was hoping I would lose the bet." She smiled.

"Me, too," Colleen agreed, smiling, too. "Or you wouldn't have danced with Ash and I would've gone broke."

"Hey!" May punched Colleen's arm good-naturedly. The two girls laughed and quickly brushed their teeth, combed their crazy hair, and changed into their Trainer outfits.

May and Colleen met up with Steven, Wallace, Ash, Brock, and Max at the entrance to the main hall of the Pokémon League building. They exchanged 'good mornings,' Colleen and Steven sharing a private little smile.

Unfortunately for them, it wasn't a private little smile to Wallace. With a happy little grin he said loudly, "And what are _you_ two lovebirds smiling at each other about?"

Steven facepalmed and said, "Do we _really _have to start this at eight o'clock in the morning?" After an afterthought he added, "Don't answer that."

Wallace elbowed Steven. "My dear friend, you are too fun to tease."

"Um . . . thank you?"

"Yes, you should thank me! Teasing you gives us a great pastime, you know? When we're bored we can go back and forth—"

Suddenly, Nurse Joy rushed to the group of Trainers with a worried expression on her pale face. _Oh, no, what happened?_

"Nurse Joy—!"

Max tugged Brock's ear sharply and Brock let out a yelp. "Don't even start."

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but there's a severely wounded man outside asking for the Pokémon League's help!" Nurse Joy exclaimed anxiously. "He refuses to receive treatment unless he sees you!"

All silliness in Wallace's face evaporated. "Okay, Nurse Joy, we'll take it from here. Be ready to treat the man!" The Trainers sprinted to the front gate.

Colleen and May gasped. A man was there, leaning heavily on a wooden cane. He was dressed in a ragged brown suit, and blood was pooling at his feet. He looked like he'd been shot numerous times.

Wallace's eyes flashed. "Who did this to you, sir? What's wrong?"

"Help . . . me . . ." the man rasped, coughing. Blood spattered the front of his already-bloody vest. "I . . . need . . . you . . . all . . . to . . . go . . . to . . . the . . . Scorched . . . Slab . . ."

"That's near Fortree City . . ." Colleen remembered the small cavern-like island floating on the lake of Route 120. "But there was only a Technical Machine there, Sunny Day . . ."

The man ignored what she said, but continued, "Please . . . it . . . is . . . my . . . last . . . wish . . . only . . . some . . . strong . . . Trainers . . . can . . . stop . . . them . . ." The man erupted into a fit of bloody coughing. "They . . . shot . . . me . . . it . . . was . . . them . . ."

"Sir, we'll do what we can!" Steven assured him. "Hold on!"

The man gave a smile. "Thank . . . you . . ." The man pitched forward and hit the ground, blood pooling around his lifeless body. Colleen gasped.

". . . Sir?" Wallace asked uncertainly.

Steven knelt down. "He . . . doesn't have a pulse . . ." he reported, a bit baffled.

"Then he's . . ." Ash trailed off. May hugged Max, trying to erase the image from her little brother's mind.

Nurse Joy rushed outside, and almost screamed when she saw the body.

"Nurse Joy . . . this man just died," Brock said, seriously. "He told us to go to the Scorched Slab in Fortree . . . would you take care of the body?"

Her blue eyes moist, and her fair face white, Nurse Joy swallowed nodded. "Of course . . . you all get your Pokémon and grant this man's last wish!"

"Thank you kindly," Steven said quickly before they ran off to the Pokémon playground.

Colleen saw all of her Pokémon awake, and took out her Poké Balls. "Okay, everyone!" The thirty-some Pokémon snapped their heads up to listen. "We're flying to the Scorched Slab! Something weird's going on, and be prepared for a battle, okay?" The Pokémon nodded. "Okay, return!" All the Pokémon vanished inside their proper Poké Balls. Pichu and Pikachu hopped onto their Trainers' shoulders and they sped off once more.

"We'll need to fly there, of course," Wallace said. "Let's see . . . Steven has Metagross and Skarmory, Colleen has Salamence . . . does anyone have anyone else?"

The others shook their heads. "Okay, then . . . Ash, Pikachu, and I are on Skarmory . . . Brock, Max, and Steven, you take Metagross . . . and Colleen, you, Pichu, and May get on Salamence. Clear?" Everyone nodded.

"I choose you, Salamence!" Colleen yelled. The blue dragon Pokémon roared as the steel bird Pokémon and the hovering metal Pokémon joined it. She, Pichu, and May mounted Salamence, while the others mounted Skarmory and Metagross.

"Alright, Salamence, let's head to the Scorched Slab!" Colleen cried once she had wrapped her arms around Salamence's neck. "You remember where it is, right?" Salamence nodded.

"Skarmory, Metagross, follow Salamence!" Steven commanded his Pokémon. "Metagross, keep us on you by using your Psychic attack!"

"_Metagrosss . . ._" the four-legged blue Pokémon replied in its metallic voice.

"Max, hang on to use just in case," Brock instructed, keeping an arm around Max. Max nodded.

"Hold on, May," Colleen warned. "Okay, Salamence, _take off_!"

Salamence's great maroon wings extended, and with a roar, it took off into the sky. Colleen felt her stomach drop, but for only a second and she barely noticed it—she was used to flying by now, and so was Pichu. May was screaming and clinging to Colleen for dear life, and finally loosened her grip when the trio had made it above the clouds.

"Is everyone okay?" Wallace shouted from Skarmory's back. A chorus of "Yes!" followed. Pichu and Pikachu called back, "_Pi chu!_"

"Okay, Salamence, now take us to the Scorched Slab!" Salamence nodded, and began to fly at a faster pace. Colleen heard the air whipping through Skarmory's metal grey-and-red wings as it and Metagross followed.

"The Scorched Slab is only ten minutes away from here by maintaining our current speed!" Max yelled over the rushing wind.

"Everyone sit tight until then!" Ash yelled back. "May, how are you and Colleen doing?"

"Great!" May shouted. _If only I could turn around right now . . ._ Colleen smirked. Pichu was giggling, and if Colleen wasn't mistaken, she heard Pikachu laughing behind them.

"Sorry if my hair's whipping you," Colleen apologized. "I forgot to tie it down in the rush."

"No problem," May replied from behind her. "I wouldn't call it whipping, more like tickling. Your hair smells and feels nice."

Colleen laughed. "Thanks."

"Is Pichu afraid of heights?"

Colleen thought for a moment and looked down at Pichu. "Are you afraid of heights, Pichu? You've been fine all those times we've ridden Salamence."

"_Pi!_" Pichu replied, shaking its head.

"Are _you_, May?"

"Just a little. It depends how high I am. You?"

"I'm used to it by now, I guess."

Salamence gave a bellow. "Salamence, what is it?" Colleen asked. "Are we there?" Salamence nodded. "Steven! Tell Skarmory and Metagross to start descending! Salamence says we're there!"

"Got it!" Steven shouted. "Skarmory, Metagross, follow Salamence for the descent!" Skarmory's piercing cry and Metagross' metallic groan followed.

"Salamence, descend!" Colleen commanded. Salamence turned downwards and began to fly down at a fast speed. May clutched Colleen as Colleen's stomach went down with gravity. After only a minute, Salamence stood on land. The Trainers dismounted their Pokémon, legs slight wobbly at standing.

"Thanks a ton, Salamence." Colleen reached into her bag and gave Salamence a Sitrus Berry. "Take a rest. Return!" Salamence vanished into its Timer Ball. Steven recalled Skarmory and Metagross.

The group had landed on a very small island with the sand blending into grass. The shadow of a log bridge overhead was cast over the small cave in front of them. The sparkling water was all around them, and a slight shoreline could be seen about ten meters away.

"Well, this is the Scorched Slab," Colleen said, motioning to the cave.

"Be ready for anything," Steven warned. "Those things here killed that man."

"Got it," everyone nodded unanimously.

"Okay, then, let's go." The Trainers walked to the cave, lingering at the entrance.

"It's dark in there . . ." May said worriedly.

"I'll fix that." Colleen took her Friend Ball off her belt. "Go, Espeon!" Espeon mewed and looked inquiringly at its Trainer.

"We need you to use Flash to light up this cave." Espeon nodded, and its forehead gem glowed with enough light to illuminate the cave.

"I'll go first," Steven volunteered. Everyone followed him into the cave warily.

"It looks pretty normal . . ." Wallace remarked.

"I suppose . . ." Colleen was apprehensive—she heard scuffling somewhere . . .

"COLLEEN, LOOK OUT!" Steven's yell was too late, and Colleen felt something ram into her side, piercing it. Pichu flew out of her arms and screamed, "_PICHUUUUU!_" while Espeon gave a high pitched meow. Both tried rushing to her, but all Colleen could focus on was the exploding pain in her side. She collapsed onto the floor, wheezing and clutching her bleeding side. She heard the attacker rearing for another attack.

"It's a Nidoking!" Colleen heard Wallace yell. "Steven, go take care of Colleen! I'll get this guy! Quick, Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!"

"Corphish, help out Tentacruel!" Ash yelled. "Crabhammer!"

"Max, get behind me! Go, Wartortle!" May cried. "Aqua Tail!"

"You, too, Marshtomp!" Brock shouted. "Give it a taste of your Water Gun!"

Colleen groaned in pain, trying to staunch the bleeding in her side, but it was to no avail. She heard footsteps, and someone knelt by her. Pichu and Espeon dashed over, teary-eyed.

"Colleen, remove your hands for a second! I need to check how deep the wound is!" Steven's voice told her. Colleen nodded, removing her hands from the wound and grimacing.

"It didn't hit your stomach, but it's serious! Wallace, we have to get out of here!"

"This Nidoking is proving deadly!" Wallace answered frustratingly. "It seems genetically enhanced!"

Colleen stood herself up, only to stumble once she was on her feet. Steven caught her. "Colleen, you can't stand, it'll—"

"Espeon, Zen Headbutt!" Colleen commanded firmly, keeping herself balanced with Steven's hands on her shoulders. She coughed at the coppery taste in her mouth. Espeon looked at its Trainer worriedly. "Espeon, do it! Full power!"

Espeon nodded, though its purple eyes said the opposite. It snarled and charged at the Nidoking at top speed, making contact so fast Nidoking couldn't defend itself. Nidoking toppled, and a man appeared out of the shadows. He wordlessly inserted a syringe into Nidoking's purple armor, and Nidoking's eyes snapped open. Colleen's eyes widened, coughing again.

"Useless," the man sneered. "Nidoking, Megahorn."

Nidoking's eyes went red and it headbutted Espeon with speed that a Nidoking couldn't achieve. Espeon gave a defeated, pained mewl and fell to the floor.

"No, Espeon!" Colleen screamed. Suddenly, her head started to hurt and her vision went hazy. She put a hand to her head weakly . . .

"Colleen? What's wrong? Answer me!"

"_PICHU PI? CHU!_"

Colleen opened her mouth, but her consciousness failed on her and she collapsed against Steven's body.

**A/N: Warned you, didn't I? Well, the next chapter may be up sooner, I've got tons of free time. Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Proud to present the next chapter! Yay! I'm having tons of fun with this story **** Well, what'll be the scenario when Colleen wakes up? Beware of long chapters and some twists and turns of plot **** This is going to take a while!**

**Disclaimer: Pokémon! Gotta catch em all (in the games)!**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 9**

Colleen groaned when she gained her consciousness blearily. The pain still throbbed in her side, but rather faintly, like a painful pulse. She could feel cloth around her wound.

"S-Steven . . ." Colleen said faintly. "Pichu . . . are you guys h-here . . . ?" _Where am I . . . ?_

Colleen couldn't sit herself upright, so she looked around with a dull and heavy as lead head. It was a small room, with open wooden crates all over. She tried standing again to see what was in the crates, but fell on her back all the same. Colleen sniffed and grimaced—a putrid and rancid odor was being emitted from the crates. _Maybe there's a Grimer or Muk in those crates . . . I have to find a way out or I'll die of this stench . . ._

As if an answer to Colleen's thoughts, a blue tile on the ground glowed and a person warped out of it. Colleen squinted at the person, not believing her eyes. The black hair that stuck out in front, the gold-and-black stripe cap turned backwards, the long sleeve red hoodie . . .

"E-Ethan?" Colleen said feebly, staring into her childhood friend's eyes. _Is this really Ethan? His golden eyes used to be so full of life and laughter . . . and now they're empty and lifeless . . ._

"Fancy meeting you here, Colleen," Ethan said in a low tone. _His voice . . . what's wrong with him?_

"Ethan, what are you d-doing here?" Colleen asked weakly, the pain in her side pulsing harder as she drew in breath to talk.

"I'm here for you," Ethan replied quietly. "I have to take you somewhere. Let me help you."

"O-okay . . ." With Ethan's help, Colleen managed to get up and ignoring the pain in her side, she followed Ethan to the blue tile on the floor.

It was a peculiar feeling. Colleen felt whole and dissolved at the same time, disconnected and linked to her mind. Something snapped in her head once they'd reached ground again.

Colleen looked around, feeling a bit dizzy from using the warp tile. A familiar, warm voice called out, "Colleen!" and Colleen looked around.

Ash, May, Max, Brock, Steven, and Wallace were backed against a wall by a pack of Mightyena and Houndoom with their shady Trainers. May was trying to comfort Max, while Ash was trying to comfort May. Everyone looked scared, and the pack of dog Pokémon looked like they would strike at any moment. Colleen automatically reached for

Colleen's eyes widened and looked at a table against the wall guarded by a couple of shiny Pokémon—a gold-coated blue-eyed and blue-nosed Mightyena and a blue-coated Houndoom. The table was littered with various Poké Balls, and Colleen made out hers and Steven's. With a shock she realized Pichu and Pikachu were missing, until she caught two pairs of yellow feet on the edge of her line of sight. Colleen looked up in horror—Pichu and Pikachu looked tortured and were being suspended from metal shackles on the wall. They looked unconscious and in terrible pain.

Colleen shook her head vigorously—this had to be a dream, it _had_ to! "G-guys, I'll be right there! J-just hold on!" She tried to run to her friends, but Ethan clamped his hands around her waist and pulled her to him. He put the most pressure on her wound, and Colleen winced. "Ethan, l-let go—"

"You're staying right here," Ethan whispered, his surprisingly cold breath on her neck making Colleen shuddered. He pressurized the wound even more, Colleen trying not to whimper in pain.

_Something's totally wrong with Ethan!_ "E-Ethan, _let me go_! I need to h-help them!"

"How noble," a deep voice smoothly interjected. Colleen stopped struggling and looked to the front. The speaker was in shadow, but he stepped into the light slowly. Some part deep in Colleen's body recognized him.

The man was broad-shouldered and very tall. He had slick brown hair, an orange suit, a green vest, a red tie, and a cream collar shirt. He clearly was very wealthy. But his smirk, the darkness in his similarly black eyes—it meant one thing to Colleen: pure evil.

And for some strange reason, Colleen knew the name of this man.

"_Giovanni_."

Giovanni's eyebrows rose in amusement. "You know of me?"

"Not in particular," Colleen answered, giving the man a cold glare.

Giovanni laughed. "You do not know the irony of your statement, my dear."

_Irony? What does he mean?_

"I know who you are, Giovanni." Steven's warm grey eyes had narrowed and turned a stormy grey. "You are the boss of Team Rocket. I've heard of everything you've done in Kanto and Johto from Lance and the Silver League. You abuse Pokémon to do what you want!"

"Very good, Hoenn Champion Steven Stone," Giovanni said, still in an amused tone.

"And here I was expecting Archie or Maxie . . ." Wallace muttered. Giovanni laughed again.

"There you are wrong. Those two were so foolish; they could not stay on the path of world domination. They are a disgrace to us super villains. _Spineless bastards_."

"Look who's talking," Ash challenged, fighting to get up.

"Ash, shh!" May hissed, holding Ash down.

One of the Houndoom spit an ember that nearly scorched Ash.

"Do not get mouthy with me, little boy," Giovanni warned, his eyes becoming bottomless slits. "I do not want to commit more than one murder today."

"One murder?" Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Giovanni's dark gaze swept over Colleen like a black hole. "_Hers_."

Fear rooted to the bottom of Colleen's stomach and she felt like she'd been doused with cold water.

"But first . . . have your way, Ethan, my loyal servant."

_Have his . . . way?_ Colleen's eyes widened. _Oh, crud . . . Ethan must be working for Giovanni!_

"Confused, Hoenn Champion?" Giovanni chuckled. "Your childhood friend now works for me. Why, you ask?

"He has been blindly in love with you."

Everyone gasped and Colleen turned to look at Ethan. He was smirking very unnaturally.

"It's true, Colleen," he sneered. _This isn't Ethan . . . it can't be . . . Ethan . . . in love with me?_ "You never noticed at all, no matter what in Arceus' name I did. Ever since we met, I've been pining for you. I wanted you so badly. But the problem was, I couldn't get your attention.

"And then Giovanni came to me, the night that Brendan and I returned to Littleroot. He asked me what was wrong, and he promised he'd get me exactly what I wanted if I followed him." He smirked again. "And I'm gonna do just that."

"E-Ethan, what are you . . . ?"

Ethan forced Colleen's face upwards, moving towards her.

"_NO!_" The words ripped out of Colleen's throat before she could stop them.

The gleam in Ethan's eyes just became more pronounced. "You've never been so feisty, Colleen . . . I'm hurt." He punched the wound in her side so hard that Colleen screamed and doubled over. "You will do what I want, Colleen. I've waited for fifteen years . . . I'm going to do what I want." The pressure in Colleen's side got harder, and Colleen screamed, "_Stop it, Ethan!_"

"_Ethan, what are you doing?_" Colleen heard Steven yell. "She's your friend!"

"Sorry, Mr. Hoenn Champion," Ethan replied. "I'm closed off to comments right now." He shoved Colleen to the floor. The tears pricked at her eyes.

"_Colleen!_" the others shouted.

Colleen was helpless. She couldn't move—that shove had hurt her side even more. "Ethan, please," Colleen pleaded tearfully, her hands held out before her. "Don't do this! I know you! You're my best friend!

"I do love you, Ethan, but as a _friend_. I'm sorry, I can't love you in the other way! Please, don't let this ruin our friendship!"

Something flickered in Ethan's eyes, and Colleen saw a bit of his old self back. She became hopeful, but then Ethan backed away.

"Ethan?"

Ethan couldn't hear her, apparently. He clutched his head, suddenly screaming as if in pain. Finally, he disappeared.

"Ethan?" Colleen called out nervously.

"The fool . . . his stress destroyed him," Giovanni snarled.

"_Destroyed?_" Colleen echoed. _Then Ethan's . . . dead?_

"Minor misconception. _I_ will handle this. Go, Nidoking."

Colleen gulped. It was the same Nidoking who had rammed her, and as proof, the blood still stained its horn.

But the Nidoking simply collapsed at his feet.

Giovanni hit the table of Poké Balls in fury. "Blast it . . . we revived it one time too many . . ."

That got Colleen angry. "_Revived?_ What do you mean? You force Pokémon to do your dirty work, and then you use them until they _die_? That injection . . . you've been reviving Pokémon this whole time, using them over and over, just to make them genetically enhanced and super powerful!" Colleen stood up, her fists clenched. "With enough love, _any _Pokémon can become strong! In that room I was in—you had Pokémon corpses in there! You don't deserve to battle alongside Pokémon! They're your friends and companions, not your minions and slaves! You are a disgrace to Pokémon, _you bastard!_"

Everyone held in their breath.

Giovanni remained there unflinchingly. "So much like your parents . . ."

"How do you know my parents?"

"Such similar views, Colleen," Giovanni smirked. "Your parents told me the same thing before I killed them."

The anger deflated like a popped balloon. "You killed . . . my parents?"

"Would you like proof? Persian, to me." The sleek cream-colored cat Pokémon meowed and dropped something into Giovanni's hand. Giovanni tossed it, and it skittered across the floor to Colleen.

It was actually two heads, so pristine and calm they looked almost alive, except shrunken. The man had pink hair, and the woman had mint green eyes under her half-open eyelids.

Colleen's world shattered.

This whole time, she'd been searching for her parents, hoping they were alive and not listening to what everyone told her. She hoped she could see their smiles again, feel their hugs, receive their kisses.

But it was all for naught. Her parents had been dead for over thirteen years.

**A/N: CLIFFIE! Well, next chapter'll be up soon, with a cliffie, probably. :P Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Yay, more milestones have been reached! I've got 30 reviews—thanks to all my reviewers! And also—this is my tenth chapter for THJ! YAY! Counting my other fanfic, **_**Sister of Fate**_** for TMNT, I've got fifteen chapters on . I'm so glad!**

**Some of you might be wondering why Team Rocket's in Hoenn—I didn't use Team Aqua and Team Magma because they went "good" in a way (see **_**Gaining Groudon**_** and **_**The Scuffle of Legends**_**).**

**Well, here comes the tenth chapter, people! Please enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I got my Electrode and Gyarados to level 50! Yes! But otherwise, Pokémon isn't mine.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 10**

_H-how can this be?_ Colleen was frozen as everything came down around her. _I never lost hope, I had a feeling I'd find Mom and Dad—but like this? Why did it have to be this way, what did we do? Why do the good people always have to die?_ Colleen wiped her eyes, only to have the tears return. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps.

"Poor little girl." Colleen had almost forgotten Giovanni was present, and looked up at him with a fierce glare. "You certainly must want to know why their fates were crushed by me, and tell you I shall.

"As you know, your father was a very powerful Gym Leader when you were young—the eighth and last one. Your mother, though not in any place of the Hoenn League, was a very powerful Trainer, as well.

"Being the strong Trainers they were, I naturally wished for them to join Team Rocket. The question was how to do so.

"Then, from what one of my grunts told me a few nights later, your mother and father were going out, leaving you with your friends Brendan and Ethan. I acted quickly and kidnapped them.

"Your parents were stubborn, and didn't give in no matter what I did with them. Finally, I gave up on them and killed them. Before they died, they told me the exact words you told me now." Giovanni smirked. "Be proud, you have inherited something from your parents. You are a Hoenn Champion, meaning you are a very strong Trainer. And that is why I might spare your life."

"Meaning?" Colleen asked, though she knew the answer.

"I am extending an invitation to you," Giovanni said, stepping closer to Colleen. "To join us, Team Rocket, in exchange for your life. You are beautiful, talented, and would serve me well, even better than some lackeys I've had with me for many years."

"I'd never!" Colleen answered immediately, the tears in her eyes glistening. "What do you think would make me say I would? I'm my parents' daughter, remember?"

"Very noble," Giovanni nodded, his eyebrows raised again. "But there is something I possess at this moment that is your major weakness. Mightyena, Houndoom—disperse." The dog Pokémon agreed, and stepped away from a cowering Ash, May, Max, and Brock. Steven and Wallace stood up in front of the younger Trainers protectively.

Colleen ignored the pain in her side and sprinted towards the others, but a Team Rocket Grunt got there first and pulled a revolver out of his belt. Colleen stopped in fear of the grunt pulling the trigger—the gun was pointed straight at Steven's head.

"Yes, Colleen, your friends are your weakness," Giovanni said from behind her. "I could easily tell my grunt to pull the trigger—"

"_Don't you dare lay a finger on him!_" Colleen shouted. "Steven and the others have nothing to do with this! If it's me you want, then hurt me, you coward!"

Steven's eyes widened. "Colleen, don't tell him that, he's going to—!"

"Shut your mouth," the Team Rocket grunt hissed, pressing the gun to Steven's temple.

"Fine, I won't hurt them," Giovanni agreed, his eyes full of a dangerous malice. "Go, Henson." The grunt tucked the revolver in his belt and retreated wordlessly.

Colleen's relief was short-lived. Giovanni swooped on her so fast that Colleen had no time to react. She struggled, but the bundle of cloth was suffocating her the more she tried to get away. Her body was getting weaker with each struggle. She heard the others yelling her name, and she tried even harder to get away . . .

"But if I don't hurt _them_, I will certainly have to hurt _you_."

Colleen kept thrashing, but it got weaker, and just before she felt she'd pass out from oxygen deprivation, the cloth was removed. Colleen lay on the floor, facing the ceiling and panting. It hurt to breathe, and her body felt as weak as a Magikarp out of water.

"Formaldehyde," Giovanni sneered. "It weakens you to a point that you will barely be able to move."

Colleen lay there, breathing heavily even though it felt like it was squeezing her lungs. _That wasn't true pain, which means Giovanni must have something in store for me . . ._

"And that will prove to be useful. Mightyena, Houndoom, go."

Colleen's eyes widened and she struggled to pull herself up, but the formaldehyde had her muscles weakened. _He's planning to feed me to the dogs!_

Colleen thought the first bite from one Mightyena hurt enough, but when they all joined in, it was agony. Colleen held in her screams until the pain and ripping of flesh became unbearable. Wallace was yelling, "_Stop this madness, let her be!_" and Steven was fighting to get to Colleen, but nothing could help her. Colleen tried as hard as she could to move, kick, do something—but she couldn't escape the torture . . .

After what seemed like forever, the Houndoom and Mightyena retreated, leaving Colleen a bloody and tattered mess. The pain was fading, but ever so slightly, stinging her randomly as she lay on the floor. Colleen couldn't see how she could survive this encounter—the pain was so intense, she was losing so much blood, she could barely breathe . . .

"Oh, god . . ." she heard Steven whisper softly. "Colleen . . ."

"This is what happens to those who defy me, Colleen," Giovanni told her, his voice sounding even more dangerous. "I've left you hanging in the balance of dead and alive. If you want me to send the dogs on you again—"

"I ch-challenge you to a b-battle," Colleen coughed, clutching her chest.

Giovanni chuckled. "Challenge me in your state?"

As if that statement had refueled her strength, Colleen stood herself up, shakily. The _plish-plish_ of her blood falling scared her, but she stayed on her feet, swaying slightly.

Giovanni seemed impressed, and tossed her four of her Poké Balls. "Interesting, Colleen, very interesting. Very well then, I accept your challenge. To show you the might of my genetically enhanced Pokémon, I shall choose only one, and you can use the four you have that have not fainted. If you win, I'll spare your friends, but not you. If I win . . . well, let's just say it means more pain for you . . . _and _your friends."

_Either way, I'll be hurt . . . but winning this will get the others out of here . . ._

Even though Colleen knew she wouldn't be able to bear any more pain, she agreed.

"Colleen, don't do it!" Steven called out to her. "You won't be able to survive if he sends the Mightyena and Houndoom on you again!"

Colleen sighed and turned herself around unsteadily. Even now, those grey eyes were a comfort to her. "S-Steven . . . I've t-taken it upon m-myself t-to get you out of h-here. E-even if it k-k-kills me." She managed a smile. "P-please, don't w-worry about m-me right now." Colleen turned and faced Giovanni once more, rigid determination on her face.

"Go, Rhydon," Giovanni commanded, motioning for the armored and horned Pokémon to take the stage. It stomped the floor, almost sending Colleen toppling.

"O-okay." Colleen gripped the slicker surface of her Poké Ball. "D-do your best, M-Mightyena!"

The first thing Mightyena did was plod over to its Trainer and look at her with a sad face. "I'm okay, M-Mightyena. I-I just need y-you to f-fight your h-hardest!"

Mightyena gave a small howl and turned to Rhydon, snarling. "M-Mightyena, Iron Tail!"

Mightyena leapt into the air, its black tail glowing white, and slammed the tail into Rhydon. Even though it was a super-effective move, Rhydon barely looked affected!

"Rhydon, Megahorn." Rhydon's horn glowed green, and it headbutted into Mightyena at a speed that no normal Rhydon could achieve. Colleen tried to yell for Mightyena to look out, but it turned into a blood-stained coughing fit.

Mightyena didn't look like it could take another hit. _I'm almost down one already!_ "M-Mightyena, g-give your Iron T-Tail another shot!"

Mightyena leapt higher that last time and smashed its glowing tail into Rhydon. _ARGH! Rhydon STILL doesn't look damaged!_

"Rhydon, finish it with your own Iron Tail." Rhydon's massive rock tail glowed gold and it hit Mightyena so hard Colleen heard its leg crack. "_Mightyena!_"

Mightyena snarled, licking its hurt leg, trying to keep consciousness. But it still collapsed.

"Thank y-you, M-Mightyena . . . return." _Ugh, I have Blaziken, Feraligatr, and Salamence left . . ._

"That was a simple Tackle attack from a Magikarp, Colleen," Giovanni taunted. "I expected better from the Hoenn Champion."

Colleen threw a glare at him, thinking about her next move. "Okay, Blaziken, l-let's do this!"

Blaziken had the same reaction as Mightyena, and the fire around its wrists flared up more as it struck a defensive stance in front of Rhydon.

"Blaziken, use S-Sky Uppercut and j-join it with your Fire Punch!" Blaziken's wrist flames looked like a Flamethrower as it streaked its arm across Rhydon, twice to do some more damage. But Rhydon _still_ didn't look damaged in the slightest!

"Rhydon, Aqua Tail." This time, Rhydon's large tail glowed blue and it hit Blaziken so fast Blaziken couldn't jump away. But Blaziken didn't look through yet, either.

"Blaziken, try D-Double Kick and Blaze K-Kick together!" Blaziken sped towards Rhydon and hit it with its feet twice, leaving scorch marks wherever it made contact.

"Rhydon, Earth Power." The ground erupted over Blaziken, and Blaziken darted around, getting hit by about half the bursts.

"S-Superpower and Overheat!" Blaziken glowed golden and it charged towards Rhydon at the agility of an Extremespeed. The shield around it flared harsher and harsher the closer it got to Rhydon. When the attack made contact, Rhydon reeled a little, but still looked undefeated.

"Rhydon, Horn Drill." Colleen blinked. Rhydon looked like it had used an Extremespeed and its horn crashed into Blaziken. Blaziken gave a weak cry, and fell to the floor.

_Two down . . . but I can't lose hope!_ "Th-thank you, Blaziken, return!" Colleen coughed a little bit—she was getting light-headed . . .

"Now that was better," Giovanni commented. "But you have barely harmed my Rhydon here."

"Ugh . . . come on, S-Salamence!" Salamence roared at Rhydon. "Draco Meteor!"

The orange meteors smashed into Rhydon again and again, until Rhydon broke free with a Horn Drill that narrowly missed Salamence. Rhydon stomped the ground, and sent a massive Stone Edge at Salamence.

"Salamence, Aqua T-Tail!" Salamence's turquoise tail splashed into Rhydon's head, and Rhydon once again reeled from the hit.

"Blizzard." Rhydon opened its mouth and sent the frigid blast of ice and snow at Salamence. Salamence curled up, trying to protect itself from the cold.

"B-break through with Fire Blast!" The star-shaped explosion of fire melted the ice and the water and fire hit Rhydon. Rhydon used Horn Drill to spin away the debris, and hit Salamence's neck. Salamence snarled, but collapsed onto the floor.

"Great j-job, Salamence, take a r-rest." Colleen gripped her last Poké Ball tightly. She screwed her eyes shut, thinking, _Come on, Feraligatr, you're my last hope to save Steven and the others . . . if I ever needed a win, it's now!_ "Feraligatr, you c-can do this!" Feraligatr snapped its jaws at Rhydon. "Hydro P-Pump!"

The massive barrage of water crashed into Rhydon, and Rhydon used a Thunder to send an attack back at Feraligatr. Feraligatr shook of the electrocution.

"Try a H-Hydro Cannon!" Feraligatr sent an even bigger explosion of water at Rhydon, which hit Rhydon before it could retaliate. Rhydon shook it off.

"Thunder."

"Try catching it off b-balance with Earthquake!"

Even though Feraligatr shook the ground with intense fury, the Thunder hit its mark, and Feraligatr thrashed in pain. The Thunder kept shocking Feraligatr, and it wouldn't seem like it would end—

"_Stop it, stop!_" Colleen shouted, pushing away her pain and recognizing Feraligatr's. "_Stop hurting Feraligatr!_"

Giovanni smirked, motioning for Rhydon to stop shocking Feraligatr. Colleen stroked the crocodilian Pokémon's head tenderly. "Good job, Feraligatr . . . return."

Tears welled up in Colleen's eyes. She glanced up at Pichu and Pikachu, still hanging above the table.

"You have lost, Colleen," Giovanni said. "You may have beaten the Hoenn League, but you must bow down to me and my genetically enhanced Pokémon."

Colleen fell to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks. _I couldn't save my friends or our Pokémon . . . everyone will suffer because of me . . . all my hope is lost. I have no other Pokémon, and even if I did, I would lose. _Colleen looked up at the ceiling, clenching her hands. _What can I do? I have to save my friends and our Pokémon . . . please, help me save them . . ._

Suddenly, the ceiling turned into the golden glow of sunlight. Everyone's attention turned upwards as the ceiling exploded. Colleen covered her head, feeling the concrete pelt her bare, wounded arms. When the explosion subsided, Colleen saw the sky. It was emerald green, flashing with familiar, circular yellow markings.

Colleen squinted; something was descending from the emerald sky. Instinctively, her arms outstretched, and a radiating spherical object fell into the palm of her hand. The sky then turned back to normal.

Colleen turned her attention to what was sitting in her hands. It was a familiar Poké Ball. The underside was white, like a normal Poké Ball, but the top part was different. The band that was supposed to be black was instead yellow, and the release button was emerald green. And the top half of the Poké Ball was exactly like the pattern of the sky earlier. It was emerald green, with the circular yellow markings . . .

Colleen remembered where she'd seen this pattern and this Poké Ball before, and gasped. _It can't be! That was three full years ago . . . how could . . .?_ She picked up the Poké Ball and stared at it. _Ruler of the Skies . . . I don't mind the aftereffects, but is it truly a time for me to use you?_ The ball grew warm, as if to respond to Colleen's mental question._ Then let's do it._

"What the . . . ?" Giovanni trailed off, and turned back to Colleen. "That aside, Colleen, I will ask you one more—"

"Hold on, Giovanni." _Everything will be alright, if I believe in myself and truly want to save everyone . . ._ The warmth of the Poké Ball spread throughout Colleen's body, like a support. She stood, without swaying, and faced the Team Rocket Boss, holding out the Poké Ball. "This battle's not over yet!"

"Is that so? You will only be defeated once again. Go, Rhydon, one more match."

Colleen held the Poké Ball to her heart and threw it, calling out, "I believe in you, help me accomplish my wish . . . Ruler of the Skies, _Rayquaza!_"

**A/N: Raise your hand if you saw that coming. I was afraid it was too obvious **** Anyqay, sorry about the cliffie again. :P I'm pretty sure the next one's not a cliffie. Please stick with the story, and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, here's chapter 11! Just a little note: I might not update this week because I have a lot going on (tests, projects, etc.). So I just had to post this chapter before the school week began. Enjoy this one, at least!  
Disclaimer: I caught Zapdos with on my first try with an Ultra Ball! But I still don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 11**

The room flashed with a bright white light, and once everyone could see again, the emerald-green sky serpent towered over Rhydon. It gave a strange kind of roar, its tail lashing around dangerously.

Giovanni's evil and collected demeanor slipped away as he gaped in shock at Rayquaza. "What in the . . . how did you . . . no matter. I will defeat you, Legendary Pokémon or not. Rhydon, show them the power of a genetically enhanced Pokémon over _all_ others, even the Legendaries!"

"Giovanni, in honor of my mother and father and all the Pokémon you made suffer and die . . . I will defeat you! Rayquaza, let's go! Surf attack!"

A mammoth frothy wave reared from behind Rayquaza and crashed into Rhydon like a storm on the coast. For once, Rhydon actually looked damaged!

"Rhydon, Blizzard!"

"Dodge and use Hyper Voice!" Rayquaza roared so loudly any human receiving the attack would have gone deaf. Rhydon knelt, covering its ears in agony. _Yes! Rhydon's weak!_

"Rhydon, shake it off and use Stone Edge!" Rocks erupted from Rhydon's body and Rayquaza took full brunt of the attack. This time it was the other way around—_Rayquaza _ was the one who didn't look damaged!

"Rayquaza, let's finish this! _Draco Meteor!_" Orange globes bigger than the one's Salamence could ever muster slammed down from the sky, striking Rhydon repetitively. Rhydon cried out weakly, and fell to the floor.

"What?" Giovanni shouted. "How can this be?"

Rayquaza turned to Colleen, talking to her telepathically. _To prevent this from happening again, young Trainer, I will destroy this place and put protection over you, your friends, and all the Pokémon. I entrust you to escape from here, and help the Pokémon to get out of here_. Rayquaza roared and the whole place began falling apart, except for where the Pokémon and Colleen's friends were. Colleen sprinted over to the table, throwing the right Poké Balls to the right Trainers, and taking down Pichu and Pikachu. She ran back to the others, finally not being intercepted by the dog Pokémon.

"Colleen!" the others called out happily. Colleen smiled at them and gave Pikachu to Ash, who thanked her with a grateful smile and cradled Pikachu. Colleen put Pichu into her bag, with its head sticking out so it could breath. She looked up at Steven; the urge was too strong to resist, and she ran into his arms. Steven just smiled and hugged her. Wallace smirked and said, "Aww, how cute!"

But this time neither Steven nor Colleen bothered to tell him off.

All of Giovanni's genetically enhanced Pokémon were running just about everywhere. They were escaping by any method they thought possible: ramming the walls, flying out, even digging away.

Giovanni, in spite of his headquarters collapsing around him and his Pokémon escaping, seemed very calm—very _unnaturally_ calm. Colleen thought he was going insane, until he whipped out a Poké Ball and shouted, "Go, Honchkrow!"

Giovanni climbed onto the black bird Pokémon's back and took off, shouting, "We will meet again, I will make sure of that! Kudos for now!"

Rayquaza glared at the Team Rocket Boss, but said no more, and turned to Colleen. _I will take my leave now._ Rayquaza gave her a meaningful look. _Young Trainer, just as last time we met, the strain of controlling me is strong. This time, I do not know whether you might survive or not, counting your previous injuries._ Everyone around Colleen gasped.

"I don't mind, Rayquaza," Colleen answered, feeling slightly numb when Rayquaza said she might not survive. "I'm just glad you helped me get these six out of here. Thank you so much."

_I wish that more Trainers like you existed. Take care of yourself, Colleen. I bid you all farewell._ Rayquaza gave what seemed to be a smile, and disappeared back into its special Poké Ball. The Poké Ball began to rise towards the heavens as the sky turned emerald green with the circular yellow markings. Finally, with a flash of white light, everything disappeared.

"Bye, Rayquaza . . ." Colleen felt the pain taking her over again and winced. It was like being mauled by those Mightyena and Houndoom all over again. "Uugghh . . ." She tripped and Steven caught her.

"Colleen?" Steven asked, his eyes flashing with concern. "Colleen, what's wrong?"

Colleen's wounds began to bleed anew, and she leaned against Steven as pain racked her body. She felt even more lightheaded as the blood loss got to her.

"Colleen?" The others rushed over as Colleen went into a coughing fit, doubling over as her stomach clenched. _Rayquaza's right . . . the strain combined with my wounds isn't going to be a good mix . . ._

Finally, Colleen's consciousness faded, and she collapsed in Steven's arms.

_Everything's so numb . . . and soft and warm . . . did I actually . . . die?_

Colleen tried to open her eyes, but they felt like they were being pulled down by iron. _No, I can't be dead . . . the pain in my body still throbs . . . and my throat feels so dry . . . ugh, I want to open my eyes right now . . ._

Colleen managed to wrench her eyes open, and looked around weakly. She was in a room, but it wasn't the one in the Pokémon League. It was a sky blue-themed room, calming and dreamy. The bed was frilly, but comfortable, and a pretty white canopy was draped over the bed.

"_GUYS, SHE'S AWAKE!_" a feminine voice screamed, and soon enough, there were several people in the room. May was hugging the heck out of Colleen.

Once May had receded, Colleen looked around the room. Wallace . . . May . . . Max . . . Brock . . . Ash . . . Pikachu . . . _Winona?_

"Winona?" Colleen said, her voice raspy. The lavender-haired Flying-type Gym Leader of Fortree City smiled. "Long time no see, Colleen."

"W-where are we?" Colleen asked.

"In Winona's house," Wallace explained, and Colleen was quick to notice the redness of his cheeks. "Once you'd collapsed, the closest place was Fortree City. Winona was gracious enough to help us. She changed your clothes, cleaned your wounds, and gave us tons of support."

Colleen managed to smile. "Th-thanks a bunch, W-Winona."

"Oh, it was nothing," Winona said, blushing, too. "We were really worried, Colleen, you've been out for a whole week."

"You don't have any super-major injuries, though," Brock added. "You lost a lot of blood, which will be replenished soon enough, and it might hurt a bit at times, but otherwise, I think you'll be okay in a week or so."

"Thanks so much for saving Pikachu," Ash said. "He owes his life to you." Pikachu nodded.

"It wasn't a p-problem, Pikachu, Ash . . ." Colleen noticed the two people missing from the room. "Hey . . . where are—"

"_PIIICHUUU!_"

Colleen looked at the doorway, and saw Steven coming in, holding Pichu in his arms. Pichu leapt and snuggled into Colleen's arms.

"Pichu!" Colleen cried, hugging Pichu tightly.

"_Pi chuuu!_" Pichu squealed, rubbing its cheeks against Colleen's.

"I'm so g-glad you're okay!"

"_Pi pi pi chu!_"

Colleen looked up and met Steven's eyes. He looked tired, but he smiled all the same, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Colleen, how are you feeling?"

"B-better, I guess. H-how about you g-guys . . ."

Steven placed a hand on Colleen's head, stroking her hair. "You shouldn't be worried about us, you were the one who got hurt, Colleen."

"So, what was with Rayquaza there?" Max inquired hesitantly. May didn't shush him.

"Well . . . early in m-my journey, I landed on a s-secluded island. Little did I know the island was Sky P-Pillar. I ascended the t-tower, and at the top, a voice c-called to me. It was R-Rayquaza. The voice t-told me to pick up the Poké Ball on the altar. This Poké B-Ball was the Sky Ball. It held R-Rayquaza, while the Terra Ball held G-Groudon and the Marine Ball held Kyogre. Rayquaza told me t-to release it, and when I did, I f-fainted. The strain of c-controlling a Pokémon like Rayquaza caused the b-body to go into s-strain. In my unconscious state, Rayquaza told m-me that I had "c-captured" it, but it would only c-come to me when I t-truly needed it. I guess this incident was one of the t-times I truly needed Rayquaza."

"So basically, your intentions . . ." Ash trailed off.

"You really wanted to save us, didn't you?" Brock asked gently. Colleen nodded.

"You guys . . . I c-couldn't let Giovanni harm you when it was m-me he wanted. It's w-wrong."

"Colleen, you haven't changed one bit from the last time I saw you . . ." Winona said admiringly. "Remember when my Swellow's leg got stuck in that tree branch? You tried to rescue it, and even though you did, you fell from the tree and nearly got a concussion. When I asked you why you'd done that, you replied that it would be wrong to leave Swellow in the tree if you could've easily saved it."

"That's our Colleen!" May said proudly, squeezing Colleen's hand.

Colleen spared a glance at Steven. He seemed so out of it . . .

"It's ten o'clock, we should be off to sleep," Wallace and May said very unexpectedly at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise and laughed, and May continued, "Sorry, Colleen, we'd probably fall asleep here if we didn't turn in. You don't mind, do you? Good night. Come on, Pichu."

"Oh, that's no p-problem . . ." Colleen said, wondering what triggered the strange behavior. She looked at Pichu—it seemed to understand. "G-good night . . ."

Everyone filed out of the room (Wallace was whispering something to Winona as they went out), Pikachu and Pichu giving Colleen a quick hug. "_Pi chu!_" Pichu called out as it bounded out of the room. Colleen smiled and waved. "Good night, Pichu!"

"Colleen . . . how are you feeling, really?" Steven asked, looking at her with a strange sympathy.

Colleen felt she could open up to Steven. "Well . . . I g-guess I'm shocked, is all. I had been searching for my parents f-for so long, and . . ." The tears piled into Colleen's eyes again. "And . . ." A few of the tears slipped out of her eyes.

Just like that night that seemed ages ago, Colleen found herself in Steven's welcoming arms. "Oh, Colleen . . . first your parents, and then you were hurt so badly . . . because of me . . . I feel so bad . . . why did you risk yourself?"

"Steven, I don't c-care if I was h-hurt . . . all that m-mattered was that you all w-were okay . . . I w-was what G-Giovanni wanted . . . the one he wanted t-to hurt . . . s-so I couldn't l-let you be hurt b-because of me . . ."

Steven hugged her tightly. "I was so worried, Colleen. When Rayquaza said you might not survive, I flipped. I stayed up every night, hoping I'd see you wake up . . . but you didn't. For a whole week. I was so, so scared that I'd lost you . . ."

"S-Steven . . . you're so sweet . . . I only w-wish I could've saved m-my parents . . . m-maybe I just d-didn't have the heart . . ."

"You _do_, Colleen. You heard what everyone was saying about you, and you defend that yourself by what you do. You had the heart to take so many injuries for us, to use the mighty Rayquaza in battle. You are one of the greatest people I've ever met." Steven turned Colleen's face to look out the window. "Do you see that red, green, and gold star cluster over there?"

Colleen made out the blurs, and nodded.

"That's the Rainbow Star. Anyone who sees it has a strong, pure heart, just like anyone who sees Ho-oh, the Rainbow Pokémon, itself. Not everyone can see it."

Steven turned Colleen's face to look up at him. "Colleen, after everything that happened last week, I've promised myself something—I'm going to protect you. It may not be much, but I think it's the least I can do. I'm not letting you get hurt this badly ever again."

Steven's words dampened Colleen's eyes as his lips met her forehead. "S-Steven . . . all I can say is . . . thank you . . ."

Both lay quietly, Colleen getting drowsy with Steven's scent. Finally, Steven spoke up. "Colleen, I should be go—" He stifled a yawn. "—going now. I think we're both getting tired." He smiled a bit.

"Steven, you s-said you were up all n-night hoping I'd wake up . . . just stay here!" Colleen could barely believe what she was saying, but kept going. "At l-least you'd take comfort in the fact that I'm asleep and n-not unconscious . . . well, actually . . . I d-don't want t-to be alone. I'm a l-little bit scared."

Steven looked like he was going to protest, but those last lines got him. "You are so cute sometimes," he laughed, hugging her again. "Fine, but don't blame me if Wallace finds us and starts spreading rumors . . ."

"Well, we c-can retaliate, can't we?" Colleen grinned. "W-Wallace and Winona are acting r-really embarrassed around each other . . ."

"I've noticed that, too," Steven grinned. "Payback time tomorrow . . . but poor Winona'll be caught in the crossfire . . ."

Both of them laughed, and Steven took his shoes and jacket off. He slipped into the bed, turned off the lamp, and draped his jacket over Colleen's shoulders. Colleen inhaled the pleasant earthy scent as Steven wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, kissing her forehead.

After a few moments, Colleen remembered something important she'd forgotten to tell Steven.

"Steven?"

"Yeah?" Steven's sleepy voice answered.

"Good night."

Colleen swore she heard Steven smile in the darkness. "Good night, Colleen."

**A/N: Again, so sorry if the fluff was cheesy -_-. I really suck at fluff, but I adore it! Well, the next chapters will certainly be less violent, and we'll be going back into normal story mode (partly ;). Stick around for the next chapter, and **_**review!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Well, I warned you! This week was HECTIC! But I'm glad I can relax and sleep now. **** So let's head back to Colleen and the gang! I had more ideas that'll make cool chapters, so bear with me as it might get bumpy again! Oh, did I mention that I think GracefulShipping is really cute? As much as I love writing about Steven, you might see a ficlet or two on Wallace and Winona. ;) But for now, I'll just have it in Colleen's story. **

**Disclaimer: I am suddenly into evolving a Gallade, but Pokémon isn't mine. ;)**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 12**

When Colleen roused the next morning, Steven was still fast asleep. His left arm was splayed across her side while his right was holding her to him through the coat. Steven's soft earthy scent made her want to fall back under the clouds again, but Colleen wanted to move her legs a little bit after being unconscious and unmoving for about a week.

_I'll have to slip away quietly, Steven must be so tired . . ._ Colleen rolled off the bed and out of Steven's grasp, clutching the bed for support on her wobbly legs. She slipped out of Steven's coat and hung it on a clothes hanger as she looked around. The sky-blue themed room looked even prettier and dreamier in the morning. The strong sunlight streamed through the huge window in bars over Colleen's sleeping prince. Colleen smiled fondly at him, her heart swelling with affection. Steven's mouth was slightly open as he breathed, his chest rising and falling steadily with each intake. The plush sky blue blanket was on Colleen's side of the bed, the corner simply touching Steven's ankle._ He looks so sweet when he's asleep . . . I hope he doesn't get sick from staying uncovered all night!_

Steadying herself, Colleen grasped the blanket and pulled it over Steven, patting down the edges and making sure he was completely covered.

"Colleen . . . ?" _Oops, he woke up!_ Colleen blushed.

Steven blinked and looked up at Colleen sleepily. "What . . ."

"Shh." Colleen found it easier to talk than the night before. "I'm just getting up to stretch my l-legs a bit. And find Pichu."

"Hold on, I'll come—"

"No, Steven, _you_ are going to sleep. I don't want you to get s-sick because you barely slept."

"I don't want anything to happen to you, Colleen. I promised I'd protect you—"

"What can happen to me right now? And there's Wallace and Winona and the others who can help m-me out. I'm giving my protector a day off." Colleen smiled at him. "I just don't want you to get sick, I'm enough to handle."

Steven's face broke into a small grin. "Okay, okay, you win, princess."

"Good." Colleen bent down and hugged Steven. "Sleep tight."

Colleen slipped out of the room and closed the door with a small snap. She looked around, remembering she had no clue where everything was, as she hadn't been outside the sky room.

"Now, where would P-Pichu be . . ." Colleen walked around a little, stopping to use the bathroom. She was about to change when she realized her Trainer clothes must have been torn beyond repair with the encounter with Giovanni. Sighing, Colleen made a mental note to go shopping with May to find a new Trainer outfit.

After exiting the bathroom, Colleen managed to find herself in a kitchen that was connected to a living room. She found Pichu sleeping alongside her drawstring bag. Colleen knelt in front of Pichu, and Pichu immediately woke up and hugged its Trainer.

"Good morning, Pichu!" Colleen said happily. She stood up and sat down at the kitchen table. "How are you feeling?"

"_Pi chu_," Pichu answered, sitting on the table and facing Colleen. Its eyes were glittering mischievously. "_Pichu pi?_"

Colleen smiled. "Yeah, I slept with Steven. _Just slept,_ n-nothing else, in case your mind wanders into the depths of the gutter. If that's p-possible for a Pokémon."

Pichu looked at Colleen with a knowing expression. "_Pi . . . Pichu chu?_"

"Yeah . . ." Colleen smiled and rubbed Pichu's head affectionately. "Wallace is right, you know _way_ too much. But then again, you've s-seen how weird I act around Steven more than almost anyone. So what do you think? How badly am I in l-lovesickness?"

Pichu cocked its head to the side, tiny finger on its mouth, thinking. It finally answered, "_Pi Pichu._"

"Really bad, huh?" Colleen sighed.

Pichu put its hand on Colleen's shoulder. "_Pichu chu pi?_"

"What's wrong with it? Well, Steven's so h-handsome he could get anyone he wants. Why would it be me? And then he's five years older than me . . ."

"_Chu?_"

"So what? Five years is a _loooooong_ time. That's about as l-long as you've been alive, Pichu."

Pichu nodded, a little sad. "_Pi chupi chu._"

Colleen giggled. "You're so adorable, Pichu. Of course you l-like Steven, he's so nice and polite and he's _such_ a gentleman—"

Colleen stopped when she heard footsteps, and she'd silenced herself in time—Winona was entering the kitchen. She hadn't changed into her Gym Leader outfit yet, and she looked very pretty with her long lilac hair cascading to her knees. Winona's lavender eyes blinked when she saw Colleen in her kitchen. "Good morning, Colleen," she said, a little surprised. "Are you sure you should be up?"

"Good m-morning, Winona," Colleen answered. "Yeah, I'm f-feeling better."

"Okay, good." Winona smiled. "I'll make you something. Pichu, too. And don't complain, I know you're eager to try my cooking," she added when Colleen was about to protest.

"Fine, but I owe y-you!"

"How about . . . a bagel?"

"That'll b-be great, thank you."

"And Pichu? I'll give you some of that Pokémon cereal. I give some to my Flying Pokémon every morning, and they love it!"

"_Chupi!_"

Winona turned her back to get the ingredients and started talking again. "Did Steven get to sleep last night? I didn't hear him come out of your room."

Colleen's heart skipped a beat. Pichu was giggling. "Don't tell Wallace that, unless he already knows. He's been teasing S-Steven and me ever since he found us traveling together . . ."

At the mention of Wallace's name, Winona stiffened for just a moment and the tips of her ears reddened. Colleen tilted her head in curiosity, and Winona continued in a slightly flustered and quieter voice, "So did Steven . . . sleep with you?"

"Um, yeah. It's kinda complicated. He's s-sleeping right now, too."

"Aww, that's sweet," Winona commented, placing the cream cheese and bagel bag on the table. "He seems to care a lot about you, that Steven. He was up every night hoping you would awaken. He'll probably be napping all over the place now."

"Yeah . . . Steven's helped me out so much since this mess occurred . . . we're really good friends is all."

"Friends?" Winona said skeptically, putting a small bowl full of kibble-like spheres on the table. Pichu sniffed the air and darted over to the bowl, eating immediately. "You keep blushing when I say his name."

"I am?" Colleen hadn't even realized it. "Well, I have a teeny little secret . . . you can guess."

"That's so cute!" Winona smiled, popping four bagel halves in the toaster. "I bet he likes you, too."

"_Steven_ liking _me_?" Colleen echoed. "It's impossible. He's five years older than me, for starters—" Pichu began to shake its head in disbelief with a facepalm.

"—and he slept with you last night because he was worried. What kind of boy does that?"

"_Steven_ does, that's who."

"You think he would've done that if, say, May was hurt really badly?"

"Steven doesn't know May that well, but if he did, yeah, he would!"

"That would happen the day Aggron became a house pet." Winona put the bagel halves on two plates and spread the cream cheese over each half. "And Ash would probably do that for May. You've noticed those two, right?"

"You bet I have . . . well, what's happening between you and Wallace?"

"_Pichu!_"

Winona promptly dropped her butter knife and bent to retrieve it.

"Between me and _Wallace_? Surely you're joking."

"Joking? You go red whenever I mention Wallace. And he did the same thing yesterday."

"Really?" Winona said, suddenly interested. "Wallace was—oops."

Colleen giggled. "Exactly. Lucky, you two have barely got an age difference and you have a better chance."

"Well, Wallace is a fangirl-magnet, just like Steven," Winona reasoned, setting down a plate in front of Colleen. Colleen bit into the warm bread gratefully, the smooth cream cheese melting in her mouth.

"You're so pretty though! Like, if Wallace saw you right now, his jaw would drop!"

Winona rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but Wallace could do better. You're pretty, too, Colleen! You and Steven would be cute together."

"So would you and Wallace."

"_Pi chu!_" Pichu agreed, struggling to open the dishwasher door to put its empty bowl in.

The two laughed, and Winona walked over to help Pichu. Colleen then asked, "It must be hard, not being able to see Wallace much."

"Yeah," Winona replied, walking back to the table and starting to eat her own breakfast. "He visits—for Pokémon League reasons, of course. We've been paired into search teams in the past, to investigate on Team Magma and Team Aqua. But that's about it."

"Being with him must have been enough," Colleen smiled. "I know that feeling."

Winona tensed. "One second . . . I hear someone . . ."

Colleen smiled—she could totally tell who was coming. And she was right. The turquoise-haired man peeked around the corner. "Hey, Colleen, I thought I heard . . ." His aqua eyes widened when they spotted Winona and clashed with his red face. "Oh. Good morning, W-Winona! I—I didn't expect you to be up, you should be sleeping—"

"Oh, Winona is _so sweet!_" Colleen breathed, shooting a smirk at Winona. "She made Pichu and me breakfast even though I told her not to! You should _really_ thank her somehow!"

"Oh, it was n-nothing!" Winona said quickly, turning red. "I'm just d-doing my job!"

Wallace smiled and strode over to Winona. "Thanks a ton for all of this, Winona. It means a lot to us." He gave her a quick hug. Pichu and Colleen high-fived each other, grinning.

"Well, Colleen, I came to ask when Steven's going to wake up. You _do_ know, right?" Colleen's stomach dropped—Wallace had that smirk! "I need to talk to you all—something strange has come up. Kind of coincidental, really."

"Oh . . . he's still sleeping. I don't know when he'll wake up, but he'll probably be up in an hour or so."

"Okay. Ash, May, Max, and Brock are getting ready. See you guys." Wallace gave Winona a sheepish grin and left.

"_Did you see that?_" Colleen almost exploded with glee. "He is _smitten_ with you, Winona!"

"Shh!" Winona blushed. "I guess he _is_ asking kind of weird . . ."

"Weird as in _lovesick_."

"_Pi chu pi!_"

"I'm going to be watching if Steven happens to stumble into the kitchen . . ."

Colleen and Winona finished their breakfasts in time to serve Ash, May, Max, and Brock. Wallace entered a little while after them. Pichu and Pikachu were having fun talking and playing while their Trainers chatted.

Steven entered about half-an-hour after Ash, May, Max, and Brock did. Colleen was about to say good morning when a loud hammering noise started to echo from the roof. Colleen raised her eyebrows. _Is it . . . raining? _Everyone looked up in wonder—Wallace looked worried. "It's coming to Fortree now . . ."

Steven frowned, but smiled when he saw Colleen. "Good morning, everyone," he said warmly as he sat down next to Colleen. "Sorry, I suppose I slept in. How are you feeling, Colleen?"

Colleen was well-aware of everyone's gaze turning to her. "Better, thanks. You, Steven?"

"Very well, that sleep certainly helped," Steven smiled. Under the table, he squeezed Colleen's hand and Colleen reddened.

Everyone began to eat again, and once they finished, Wallace positioned himself at the front of the room. "This may be sudden, but guys, there's a big problem. As you heard, it started raining very heavily when it was sunny only moments ago. The Pokémon League has been getting calls—this has been going on for a week, ever since Rayquaza appeared."

"But that sounds like . . ." Ash trailed off.

"The legend of Groudon and Kyogre," Brock finished.

An eerie silence hung in the air, until Wallace spoke up again. "Well, we've been called to duty to investigate the area being hit hardest—and the area is Hoenn's very own Sootopolis City."

**A/N: Yeah, it's cliché now, but oh well. It's going to be fun writing this! Well, again, the week-long update warning is in effect. :P See you in the next chapter! Review till then!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Woo hoo, looks like I had lotsa time! Plus I had new ideas for the chapters XD I've got nothing else to say, so here goes chapter 13!**

**Disclaimer: Suddenly loving the Red/Leaf pair, but don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 13**

"Then this started in Sootopolis . . . and spreading around all over Hoenn?" Steven reasoned, his brow furrowing.

"It gets worse," Wallace answered grimly. "The effects of this storm are spreading at a current rate of a hundred miles per minute, almost ten times faster than a week ago."

"Wait . . . just a storm?" Max asked. "The legend of Groudon and Kyogre . . . isn't it supposed t-to be turning harshly sunny and stormy at different times?"

"That's another thing. This doesn't sound like Kyogre and Groudon have been awakened. It's a major storm, with no sunlight. And at this rate, the entire Pokémon world will be feeling the effects. And this storm has gone on ever since it first started in Sootopolis, and Sootopolis is just about to flood. To make things even _worse_, the storm's strengthening the longer it's in an area."

"Oh, no . . ." Colleen gasped. "Do you guys have any idea what's wrong?"

Wallace shook his head. "Nothing. All we know is that this is not Team Magma or Team Aqua's doing, as they have disbanded. Team Galactic in Sinnoh is currently inactive, and they are rumored to possible be disbanded."

"But that leaves . . ." May trailed off uncertainly.

"Team Rocket," Winona finished, frowning.

"Striking that fast after capturing us last week?" Ash asked. "It seems . . . too sudden."

"But Giovanni escaped, remember?" Brock told him, his hand on his chin.

"Who knows how fast a man like him can prepare another plot?" May added.

"Well, the Hoenn League is going to investigate," Wallace announced. "The Hoenn Gym Leaders that can come are arriving as we speak. We'll talk more then."

At that moment, the doorbell rang and Winona dashed to get it. Colleen expected all of the Gym Leaders to pile in, but only Roxanne, Brawly, Flannery, and Norman, along with his wife, Caroline, entered.

"Dad! Mom!" May and Max cried, Max running into his father's arms while may did the same to her mom. Norman and Caroline looked surprised.

"May? Max? Brock? Ash?" Norman turned to Colleen, even more baffled. "Colleen? What are you all doing here?"

"It's a long story," Max said. "We'll explain later."

"Hey, only half of the Gym Leaders are here!" Ash commented.

"I'm guessing the others couldn't make it," Brock answered, his eyes darkening.

"Especially Juan," Wallace said, his eyes saddening. Colleen smiled sympathetically; Juan was Wallace's teacher, which had made Wallace become the great Trainer he was today.

"Juan's getting hit hard over in Sootopolis, isn't he?" Steven said gently. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Wallace."

Wallace smiled gratefully at the Steel-type Champion and resumed what he was saying. "Well, as you can all tell, only a few of us could make it here. The other Gym Leaders, as well as the Elite Four members, are helping out their hometowns.

"I'd like to say, first and foremost, that Ash, May, Max, and Brock stay here. You four are great Trainers, but a daunting situation such as this may be too difficult for you to handle. Understand?"

Ash looked disappointed that he was missing out, but everyone agreed. "We'll try keeping you updated on the current situation in Fortree," Ash decided.

Wallace nodded in agreement. "Alright. Norman, I think it would be best for you to stay here with your children and your wife." Norman nodded gratefully. "Winona, if you wouldn't mind . . ." Wallace met her gaze shyly. "I'd like you to stay here as well."

"Oh." Winona was taken aback. "Um, alright."

"Brawly, you'll be coming with us," Wallace continued. Brawly nodded.

"Colleen," Steven piped up, looking at Colleen. "I think you should stay here, too. You're injured, and going out in this weather might worsen your condition." In a quieter tone, Steven added, "I don't want you to get hurt." Colleen's heart swelled with affection.

Wallace nodded approvingly. "Colleen, it would be better. Even though you would be an amazingly helpful asset to this mission—"

"No, I'm coming," Colleen said firmly, standing up. "I'm not letting my injuries keep me down. I'm going to help in any way I can. We're already down a lot of the Pokémon League, so we need all the help we can get. What's my title as Champion if I don't help out in this crisis? Right, Pichu?"

Pichu hopped onto Colleen's shoulder and nodded vigorously. "_Pichu chupi!_"

Steven smiled, knowing he was defeated. "Alright, Colleen. Just be careful."

Wallace continued on, "Okay, everyone, I'd like you to change your parties accordingly. We'll need some strong Pokémon, as well as Flying-types that don't take "super-effective" damage from water or electricity. Which negates most Flying-types."

"Well, I have a Salamence and a Flygon," Colleen supplied. "I can take Flygon out of the PC and into my party in exchange for . . ." She looked towards Pichu apologetically. "Pichu, I'm sorry, but I think I should keep you here. I don't want you to blow away or something."

Pichu didn't fret, to Colleen's surprise. It nodded in conformity. "_Pi!_" it said, giving a thumbs-up. Colleen gave Pichu a hug. "Thanks, buddy."

"That's a great start, but we might need one more for backup."

"I've got Altaria and Tropius," Winona offered.

Wallace gave her a grateful grin. "Okay, Winona, keep Altaria with you. We'll take Tropius. Now seating arrangements . . . Steven, Colleen, you two'll be on Salamence. Me and Brawly will take Flygon, and Roxanne and Flannery, you have Tropius."

_Did he just say . . . ? Ugh, that Wallace . . ._ Along with the others, Colleen answered, "Got it."

"Then we're off," Wallace concluded. "Everyone, we're leaving in ten minutes."

"Dress warmly, guys," Flannery added. "We don't want to get pneumonia in the cold out there."

"And give your Pokémon two of these each," Roxanne added, holding out her hand. In it were six peach-like blue berries. "All of the Pokémon we are flying on are doubly-weak to Ice-types, which is essentially the cold. These are Yache Berries, which weaken the effect of Ice-type moves, or the cold, in our case. They'll keep your Pokémon warm, and they taste good, too."

Colleen took out her pack and took out her portable PC, taking Flygon out of it. She called out, "Go, Flygon and Salamence!" The two Dragon Pokémon appeared, and Colleen fed them two Yache Berries each. Winona did the same with her Tropius. Everyone went to change into appropriate clothing.

Colleen ran into the bathroom, now knowing her way, feeling adrenaline pumping through her. In the bathroom, the rain echoed off the window. Colleen slipped into her long pink rain coat with plush interior lining (it was her favorite because it didn't make her look fat and puffy like normal rain coats did) and a pair of heavy waterproof pants. She did her hair up into a tight bun, leaving a few pink wisps framing her face, and wrapped a green scarf around her neck. She finally ran outside, where everyone was ready to depart.

"You guys be careful," Ash warned, Pikachu nodding.

"I'll make sure to give your Pokémon something extra special when you come back," Brock offered, trying to lighten the mood.

"We'll look forward to it," Wallace smiled, taking off his hat so it wouldn't fly off in the wind.

May hugged Colleen. "Make sure to think about _yourself_, Colleen," she said. "We don't want you fainting on us!"

Colleen hugged her back. "Of course not! We'll be back before you know it!"

Pichu hugged her tightly. "_Pichu Pichu . . ._"

"Don't worry, Pichu! Just keep hope, and for company, play with Pikachu, okay?" Colleen strapped her bag inside her coat. "Bye, Pichu!" She gave her Pokémon an encouraging hug.

Just as everyone was about to exit, Winona suddenly cried out, "Wait, Wallace!"

Colleen knew what was about to happen, and she looked on, silently cheering on for Winona.

Winona approached Wallace, red-faced, still in her long sky blue nightgown. "Before you leave, I want to say something."

Wallace lifted her face so his aqua gaze was level with her lavender one. "Yeah, Winona?"

Winona squeezed her eyes shut. "In case if I don't get the chance or . . . or something . . . I-I love you."

Wallace's lips were on Winona's as soon as the phrase has left her mouth. Colleen was surprised at the sudden action, but smiled. Winona's eyes snapped open, widening, but after a few moments, she closed her eyes again and returned the kiss.

Once Wallace had drawn back, he pulled Winona into a hug. "Well, Winona, I don't have some massive random speech about it, like a Romeo-and-Juliet-type of thing, but . . . I love you, too."

"That's fine," Winona replied, closing her eyes again. "You've said enough already. . ."

"Aww . . ." Colleen couldn't help it. Apparently, neither could May, Roxanne, Caroline, and Flannery. All the boys were smiling uncontrollably, and Pichu and Pikachu were clapping.

Winona blushed furiously and then said, "Well, besides that . . . please, be careful."

Wallace had that teasing smirk. "Of course, my darling," he said, kissing her again. "Wait for me, okay?" _Yeah, wait till Steven and I get some revenge, Wallace . . ._

Winona blushed and mumbled, "Okay." She handed Wallace her Poké Ball, which contained Tropius.

Wallace gave her a wink and opened the door, which blasted cold air into the room as soon as it opened a crack.

"See you guys!" Brawly called as they exited the house. Colleen wiped her eyes impatiently, already missing Pichu.

"Bye, Pichu!" Colleen called out. Her heart warmed at the reply of, "_Pichu pi! Chupi chu!_"

As soon as everyone had exited the warmth of Winona's house, cold air blasted Colleen's face and rain pelted down around her. _This is getting bad . . ._

"First rule in stepping into a massive and powerful storm spreading across the entire world: put up your hood," Wallace quipped, doing as he'd said. Colleen's hands were turning numb already with the cold; she flipped up her own velvety hood and snuggled her hands into her finger mittens.

"Alright, let's go, Tropius!" Wallace cried out.

"Come on out, Flygon! You, too, Salamence!"

The three Pokémon appeared, shivering in the cold of the storm. Flannery and Roxanne climbed onto Tropius' back while Wallace and Brawly did the same on Flygon's. Colleen mounted Salamence like she always did, feeling secure when Steven put his arms around her waist behind her. "Sorry if this is awkward," he said.

"No problem, Steven," Colleen replied.

"Don't slip off . . . I'll be holding onto you tightly, okay?" Colleen's heart warmed again at Steven's caring voice. She nodded, her throat tightened with warmth. Colleen then called out, as loudly as her voice allowed over the crashing rain, "Salamence, Flygon, Tropius! Be ready for anything! Let's fly out to Sootopolis City!"

**A/N: D'awwwww . . . can't wait to poke fun at Wallace and Winona! XD BTW is it just me, or is anyone getting a weird sense of epic-ness right now? XD Well, please review! I might actually post earlier than expected!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews, guys, I've got 40 total now and I welcome the anonymous 'bow down to pokemon champion Z' to the story! Well, here's chapter 14! Things are heating up already—I'm sorry if it's like really unnaturally sudden! I just had this great idea and this was the best time to put it in. So let's have some action! BTW a little tidbit—some girl named Colleen on TV was married to a guy named Steven XDDDDDD**

**Disclaimer: I just learned that NinjaTurtleShipping—Torkoal/Ninjask—exists (ROFLOL) but Pokémon isn't mine.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 14**

"Okay, guys, take those headsets out of your PokéNavs and put them on you and your Pokémon!" Wallace shouted just before they took off. Colleen held up her sleeve to protect her PokéNav from getting wet and slid two headsets out. She quickly slipped one under her hood and put one snugly over Salamence's spiked head.

Wallace's voice crackled from the headsets now. "They're waterproof, so the Pokémon can wear them! We'll use them to communicate, because it's likely we won't be able to hear each other once we're in the air! To talk to the rest of us just press that huge button on the right earphone! And just for the record, Sootopolis is pretty far away, and the storm will slow us down. This ride might take, at most, three hours!"

"Got it!" Colleen said along with the others.

Salamence spread its maroon wings and with a huge flap, it took off into the sky. Colleen shut her eyes as the cold wind and rain stung them and lashed her face.

"You alright, Colleen?" Steven asked from behind her as Salamence, Flygon, and Tropius began to travel southeast to Sootopolis. Colleen's face heated up; hearing a word from Steven could make her feel warm anywhere.

"I'm fine," Colleen replied, tugging the hood back over her head and tightening it so the harsh wind wouldn't whip it off. "It's so cold out here, though . . . how are you feeling, Salamence?"

Salamence growled softly, which meant it was okay. "Good. Tell me when you're cold or tired, I'll give you a Wiki Berry—your favorite!"

Salamence nodded and turned its attention back to flying.

"Your Salamence likes dry food?" Steven noted.

Colleen was surprised. "Yeah, Salamence _loves_ dry food, which is why I can barely get it to drink water. It can fly in rain, thankfully, and use Hydro Pump (I got my Bagon from an egg) and Aqua Tail. How did you know?"

"Wiki Berries have a strong dry taste, and if I recalled correctly, your Salamence liked the Yache Berries, which have an equally dry and sour taste."

Colleen was impressed now. "You know a lot about berries, Steven! Is it your hobby, coming second to rock-collecting?"

Steven chuckled. "I just have the same problem with Armaldo. Even if it is a half Rock-type, Armaldo needs water, but it loves dry food, so it has problem with drinking fluids. Coincidentally, it knows Water Pulse, Water Gun, and Aqua Tail, as well."

"It doesn't seem like Armaldo has a problem with drinking water," Colleen commented. "You raised Armaldo so well, just like your other Pokémon!"

Steven's arms tightened around Colleen, like a little hug. "Thank you, but I should say the same to you," he replied. "Look how far you've come with your Pokémon—you're one of the few people I've met that understands—friendship with a Pokémon is what makes them stronger. Take your Pichu, for example. Pichu is a baby Pokémon that can accidentally shock itself at times and isn't one of the strongest Pokémon around. But you disproved that—you've trained your Pichu so well that it's a powerhouse!"

Colleen leaned back in Steven's embrace with a smile. "Thanks."

The rain began to pound harder, making _plop _noises as it hit Colleen's hood. Colleen tightened her boots so the water wouldn't collect in them and tugged at her mittens.

"Hello?"

The speaker crackled, and Colleen pressed the button on the right side of her headset.

"Guys, it's Brock. I'm tracking your location on my laptop, and you guys are just about to pass over Lilycove City."

"That's great!" Wallace said over the speaker. "We got here faster than expected!"

"Yeah, but according the radar, the storm's going to get a lot worse right when you pass over Lilycove's coast. From then on, the storm's going to worsen much quicker than now. For an update, Sootopolis can take two days or so before the entire crater overflows. But the water levels are getting to dangerous heights—in exactly five hours and thirty-nine minutes from your arrival at Sootopolis, the city will be drowned. And that will be enough to wipe out Sootopolis' population."

"Okay, thanks for the update, Brock," Flannery's voice said.

"Keep us informed with any other info you get," Steven added.

"Roger," Brock replied. "Over and out."

Brock's voice disappeared, replaced with Wallace's worried one. "Okay, we'll need to act fast once we get to Sootopolis. You heard Brock—we've got only about five hours after arriving. It's not a lot, considering we don't even know what we're up against."

It seemed at that moment they had passed Lilycove, because the rain was now slamming on Colleen's hood. The wind was on their side, for now, pushing the flying Pokémon towards Sootopolis and blowing the rain in front of them. The temperature was dropping, too, and Colleen shivered involuntarily. Thunder rumbled, scaring everyone, and the stormy sky was lit with a lightning bolt a few miles away from the Pokémon and Trainers.

Colleen reached into her bag and shielded a couple of Wiki Berries from the rain. She leaned over and fed them to Salamence, who gave a happy growl.

The wind picked up, and Flygon, Salamence, and Tropius were flying even faster. They were getting closer to Sootopolis, and they could tell by the wind's intensity and the rain's harder pounding. Colleen felt drenched when she was still under her coat, and the rain was beginning to sound like bullets being fired. The thunder didn't help, either, but the lightning was keeping its distance.

The speaker crackled again. "Guys, it's Brock, you're right above Sootopolis. I repeat, _right over Sootopolis_. Land as soon as I disconnect.

"But there's a different problem. I'm checking the Poké Radar, and there's a lot of strong Pokémon at the Cave of Origin, none of them being one of the weather trio. However, their markers are still big."

"It must be a Legendary, then," Colleen and Roxanne concluded simultaneously.

"We'll be ready when we land, Brock," Wallace said. "Over and out."

"Good luck, guys. Over and out." Brock's voice disappeared behind the click.

"Guys, be ready for anything now," Steven said. "Who knows what awaits us in Sootopolis."

Colleen could barely see as rain poured down in sheets, but Salamence, Flygon, and Tropius could see as they descended.

_Thunderrrrrr . . ._

Colleen sat up rigidly. _What on Earth was that?_

"LIGHTNING BOLT AT TWELVE O'CLOCK!" Wallace shouted.

Salamence swerved in time to dodge the massive thunderbolt, as did the other Pokémon. Colleen held onto Salamence's neck, squinting at a glowing yellow shadow amongst the rain.

"Was that a random lightning bolt?" Flannery shouted.

No one had time to answer as another bolt struck, and Steven yelled, "Get down!" and shielded Colleen with his body.

Salamence was getting tired from dodging the thunderbolts, as were the others. Something snapped and Colleen had an idea.

"_Salamence, Giga Impact! Flygon, Hyper Beam!_"

Salamence and Flygon opened their mouths and combined two solid white beams which collided with the glowing shadow. The shadow hissed and slinked back to Sootopolis' crater.

Colleen peeked up, shaking. The thunderbolts had subsided. "Great job, Salamence! You, too, Flygon!"

"Great thinking there, Colleen," Wallace communicated. "Boy am I glad we have you here . . ."

"Let's land before the lightning starts again," Colleen replied. "Salamence, Flygon, Tropius, descend!"

The trio went into a dive, faster than before to reach ground safely. In five minutes, Salamence, Flygon, and Tropius were standing on ground.

Steven slipped off Salamence and helped a shaky Colleen off. Colleen held on to Steven while trying to get accustomed to solid (well, muddy) ground.

They had landed in front of Juan's house, which was empty as were the other houses of Sootopolis. The water reached up to their ankles at this level, but some houses were half-engulfed with water.

"We've got no time to waste," Wallace said anxiously. "Let's go." He recalled Winona's Tropius.

"Come on, Flygon, Salamence," Colleen said, motioning for the two Dragon-type Pokémon to follow.

The Cave of Origin was not a long trek from Juan's house, which was why Juan's house was positioned where it was. A shrine was at the front of the cave, where an old man sat there, unmoved by the storm pounding around him.

Brawly made to go into the cave, but the man stopped him. "You may not enter."

"But, sir, the key to this storm is inside that cave!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"The laws are strict," the man said. "Even at times of crisis, I shall guard the Cave of Origin. I cannot let you pass."

"The world will be destroyed if you don't let us through!" Flannery shouted, her quick temper igniting.

The man was impassive. "You may not enter," he repeated simply, looking around. His black eyes fell on Colleen, Wallace, and Steven, and he shuffled in front of them, staring into their eyes. Colleen felt unnerved; the eyes were the door to the soul, and this man seemed to be using her eyes as a door.

The man drew back. "You three may pass," he decided. "I see it in your eyes—your hearts are true, young ones. You truly understand what it means to be Pokémon Trainers."

Colleen, Wallace, and Steven exchanged looks.

"You three, wait outside," the man told Flannery, Roxanne, and Brawly. The three were startled, but agreed.

"You guys go help Juan," Wallace commanded. Flannery, Brawly, and Roxanne nodded, and went to help Juan with damming the flooding.

The old man stepped away. "Enter the Cave of Origin, and confront the great entities that threaten our world—the beasts of water, lightning, and fire, and the legendary Master of Illusions."

**A/N: All I can say is . . . *hint hint HINT* If you don't guess the perpetrators of the storm, well . . . wait for the next chapter! :D Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Happy Memorial Day everyone!**

**OMG did you hear about the new Pokémon? Type in Poké and if you live in the US, a page about the version mascots pops up! The US Pokémon website finally shows Black and White are coming out in spring of 2011. For Pokémon Black, they've created Reshiram, and for Pokémon White, it's Zekrom. Weird thing is, Reshiram is white and represents Pokémon Black while Zekrom is black and represents Pokémon White. Both look weird and sound weird, anyhow. Anyway, back to the story!**

**Disclaimer: Even with the new Pokémon Reshiram and Zekrom, I do not own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 15**

_Beasts of water, lightning, and fire? The Legendary Master of Illusions?_ Colleen thought, her mind whirring as she tried to process the information. _Beasts of water, lightning, and fire . . . water, lightning, and fire . . . where have I heard that before? _

"Um, thank you, sir," Wallace said uncertainly, taking a splashing step forward to see if the old man would stop him. The old man simply stood there, waiting for them to pass.

"Before you go, recall your Pokémon," the man added. "With the beasts of water, lightning, and fire inside, the Cave of Origin will contain a straightforward path. It is not advisable to disturb the harmony of the cave." Colleen raised her eyebrows skeptically at the absurdity of the statement, but did as he said.

"Return, Salamence, Flygon." Colleen made sure to keep the two Dragon Pokémon's Poké Balls near the top of her bag in case of an ambush.

The man finally looked satisfied. "I wish you the best of luck."

Wallace, Steven, and Colleen entered the Cave of Origin, glad for the break of rain pounding their hoods. The cave was cold, and there were crystals sticking out from the rough walls. Each cluster had three crystals, one glowing red, one blue, and one yellow. They glowed so brightly Colleen could see every little detail of the cave without a light. The three pulled their hoods down.

The sound of battering rain outside ceased suddenly, and a slamming noise echoed pronouncedly and eerily through the cave. The three whirled around; a black bejeweled door had sealed the Cave of Origin's only entrance—and exit.

"What the . . . hey, what's the big idea?" Wallace yelled, his voice echoing loudly as he pounded on the door. No response came.

"We can worry about that later," Steven replied, but his tone was anxious. "If it comes to it, I'll send out Aggron and dig us as exit. But right now, we have to worry about the fate of the Pokémon world, starting with Sootopolis."

"Very true," Wallace agreed, a bit pale. "There's quite a ways to go, so let's run!"

The three broke into a sprint, but a crack accompanied with a stab of pain brought Colleen to her knees. Steven and Wallace knelt by her worriedly.

"Colleen, what's wrong?" Steven asked.

Colleen poked her ankle experimentally and winced. "Ouch . . . I think I sprained my ankle. Oh, that's right," she suddenly remembered. "I can't run because my legs are still weak! Great . . ."

Steven and Wallace exchanged looks. "Colleen, this is why you shouldn't have come—"

"I had to," Colleen cut Steven off firmly. She tried to stand, but collapsed again. "Argh . . . you two go on without me. We don't have the time to walk, let alone limp. I'll wait here . . ."

"No, you're coming with us," Wallace said resolutely. "No question about it."

"I'll carry you on my back, if you'd like," Steven offered.

Colleen blushed. "No, no, it's okay, I'd just weigh you down and I'm heavy and my jacket's really wet—"

"I'm stronger than I look, I bet you're not heavy, and my jacket's wet, too," Steven countered, smiling gently.

"Well, okay . . ." Colleen blushed again as Steven lifted her onto his back. She grabbed Steven's shoulders, already feeling like she was going to fall off.

"You should totally do this every day," Wallace teased as they set off. Colleen was surprised that Steven could run with her on his back. "You two look _sooo_ cute like that."

"We're sure you and Winona would look _sooo_ cute like that, too," Colleen and Steven shot back at the same time with a grin, looking at each other and laughing. Wallace stuck his tongue out at them.

The three's footfalls grew more and more distinct as they advanced further, and soon it sounded like a Tyranitar rampaging in the Cave of Origin. Finally, the three reached a doorway, with the same black bejeweled door that had sealed off the entrance to the Cave of Origin.

"Dead end . . . and how are we supposed to get around this?"

The door sank into the ground so fast that the red jewels snapped off and scattered across the floor. Wallace bent and picked one up. It was colored like a ruby, but much smoother, like it had been polished to perfection.

"Well, that's the last room," Colleen said, feeling an ominous presence. She ducked behind Steven a little.

"I'll go in first." Wallace entered through the door, Colleen and Steven following. Again, as soon as the three were inside, the door slammed shut. Steven eased Colleen off his back, still holding on to her to support her.

"Uh . . . show yourself!" Wallace tried.

_Ah . . . they have arrrrived . . . _

Colleen tightened her arms around Steven in fear. "It's that voice again!"

"Voice?"

_Thunderrrrrr . . ._

Colleen saw the mysterious shadow again, and her hand was holding a Poké Ball before she knew it. "Salamence, Fire Blast!"

A massive eruption of fire exploded with the thunderbolt, as well as the shadow. This time, the shadow floated majestically down to earth, and two other shadows appeared next to it; one glowed blue and the other red. Another fox-like shadow descended and landed in front of the other ones. Colleen shrank a little into Steven's arms.

"Those shadows . . . they were there when the thunderbolts struck!"

"Colleen, what are you talking about?"

The voice spoke louder, and this time, Wallace and Steven heard it. "_Welcome, Pokémon Championsssss . . ._"

"Who are you?" Steven asked.

A flash lit up the room, and the shadows became Pokémon. The three glowing Pokemon Colleen recognized with a start, as did Steven and Wallace.

"Suicune, Raikou, and Entei!" Steven exclaimed. "The Legendary Beasts of water, electricity, and fire . . ."

"But who's that Pokémon?" Wallace asked, indicating the fourth one.

The Pokémon in the center of the legendary beasts looked like a fox with a long maroon mane tipped with black, while the rest of its body was black with red claws. Its light blue eyes were narrowed and glowing.

"_I . . . am Zoroark, the Master of Illusions. A Pokémon who has been erased from the history of the Pokémon world for millennia, who has not been seen for all those millennia._"

"Then why are we seeing you?" Wallace asked, slight sarcasm in his voice.

"_A pesky human came to me, flying on a Honchkrow. He forced himself past the guard and awakened me from my long sleep._"

"I bet it was Giovanni . . ." Colleen frowned, rolling her eyes.

"_The impudent man challenged me with several soldiers, attempting to catch me. I was furious—I am not to be tampered with. I unleashed my power upon them, killing all but the man who came to me first. Then, I called Raikou, Entei, and Suicune._"

"Wait a minute," Steven said, confused. "_You_ called Raikou, Entei, and Suicune? I thought their master was Ho-oh!"

Zoroark's red-lined muzzle grimaced. "_The legends say that in the fire of the Brass Tower, Lugia fled to the Whirl Islands. Ho-oh did nothing better that Lugia, and fled to the nearby Bell Tower. I was left, and I received no credit for saving the legendary beasts, as no one knew or knows of my existence. As if by default, since Ho-oh was closer and was a native of Johto, it became the beasts' savior. I am a native of Sinnoh._"

"Wait, if you're from Sinnoh," Colleen said. "What are you doing in the Cave of Origin?"

Zoroark scoffed. "_Everyone thinks this cave is linked to Groudon and Kyogre. It was once, long ago, but Groudon and Kyogre live elsewhere; in Terra and Marine Cave, respectively. As you could have told by the crystal clusters, this cave is now linked to the Legendary Beasts and me. I formerly lived in the Odd Keystone, along with two other unknown Pokémon—Reshiram and Zekrom. When Spiritomb was banished to the Odd Keystone, the three of us were forced to move. Reshiram and Zekrom went to areas unknown, while I came to settle here, in the Cave of Origin._"

"Then are you trying to destroy the world with the Legendary Beasts?" Steven inferred.

"_An obvious guess, but it goes farther than that. With the actions of this man, I have decided that I have been dormant for too long. Mankind has become so much worse than all those years ago, and I have decided to end it._"

"But that doesn't make sense!" Wallace exclaimed. "Not everyone's like Giovanni! Not everyone's evil!"

Zoroark's piercing blue eyes raised. "_Are you sure about that? All of us have an inner evil in our heart; jealousy, greed, spite—these are all our inner evils. No one is purely innocent._"

"There's a difference!" Colleen insisted. "Evil and mistakes are different things! Evil can almost never be corrected, but mistakes can! And people learn to fix what they're doing wrong! Everyone makes mistakes, it's a part of life and learning!"

"_Evil is evil to me,_" Zoroark replied in a finalized voice. "_Entei will form the new earth, and just as before, Suicune will keep the rainstorms coming as Raikou will create the lightning._"

Something in Colleen's brain pieced together. "Then you were the one! Twice, there was this voice hissing 'Thunder' and a lightning bolt struck!" she exclaimed. "And the shadow—that was Raikou!"

Zoroark's red-lined aquamarine eyes glittered. "_You heard me before I wanted to be heard? And you saw Raikou's shadow as well . . . then my choice is obvious_."

"Choice?" Steven repeated, raising his eyebrows.

"_I shall challenge the girl_."

"Challenge?" Colleen asked disbelievingly. That was the last thing she'd expected to hear.

"_Yesss . . . I shall challenge you, worthy Trainer. To hear my voice without me wanting it to be heard and see the shadow of the beast of lightning without me wanting it to be seen, you must have a strong soul. Your battle shall be against Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. I warn you, to win against these three, your heart must be one of the strongest on the face of this planet. If you win, I will spare the world and your lives. But if you do not . . . the three of you will perish along with the rest of the world. Do you accept my challenge?_"

Colleen looked up at Steven, meeting his eyes briefly, and stepped away from him, steadying her feet. "I accept." _I wish I could go back to normal Trainer battling now . . . the pressure's on, and this time I have to save the world._

"_Excellent. I start off with . . . Entei._" Zoroark pointed a single blood-red claw, and the brown Pokémon with a flowing tan mane pawed the ground with a small snort.

"Okay!" Colleen took a Great Ball out of her bag. "Let's go, Flygon!"

Flygon swept up a sandstorm as it flapped its wings. "Flygon, Earth Power!"

Flygon hit the ground with its tail, causing it to crack and erupt in random spots. Entei dodged all the bursts and counterattacked with a dark sphere it hurled at Flygon. The force of the Shadow Ball was so intense that Flygon crashed into the cave wall. It managed to fly back up, but was already severely weak after the first hit.

_Uh, oh, Flygon's already in a bad spot!_ "Flygon, let's try Dragon Claw!"

Flygon's claws glowed light green, and it lashed out at Entei. Entei dodged yet again and fired another Shadow Ball, but this time, Flygon was ready. It flipped and slammed its tail into Entei for a powerful Aqua Tail attack. Entei retreated a few feet, but regained its balance with a strong look on its face.

Zoroark was smirking. "_Fire Spin._"

Entei spat Blast-Burn-worthy flames that swirled around Flygon. Flygon tried to get out, only to be burned by the flames.

"Flygon, stay put! You'll be damaged more if you try to get out!" Colleen called out, but a pit of dread in her stomach was telling her what would happen if Flygon were to stay put.

"_Finish this_."

Colleen's stomach dropped as Entei fired the dark shadowy ball at her trapped Flygon. The Shadow Ball attack made contact, and the flames of Fire Spin subsided. Flygon lay motionless on the floor.

Colleen held out her Great Ball. "Thanks, Flygon, take a rest."

"_That was pathetic,_" Zoroark taunted, grinning malevolently. "_I don't understand why you have such a 'strong heart' . . ._"

"How do you expect a Trainer to stand up to a Legendary Pokémon on their first try?" Wallace said angrily.

"You're the pathetic one," Steven added heatedly. "If you don't know, Colleen's befriended Rayquaza!"

"_Rayquaza? Interesting . . . and where _is_ Rayquaza, I might ask?_"

Colleen never knew a Pokémon could be so annoyingly infuriating. "Rayquaza only comes to me when I truly need it!"

Zoroark raised its eyes again. "_Truly need it? I'm hoping it'll come so we can have a _real_ match._"

Colleen was getting irritated. _Argh, it's so full of itself! It makes me so MAD!_ "You're up, Feraligatr!"

Feraligatr clamped its jaws threateningly as it faced Entei. Colleen was about to call for a Hydro Pump when Zoroark interrupted.

"_That Flygon was not part of your official party, was it?_"

"Um, no . . ."

Zoroark grinned, displaying its small white fangs. "_Then I expect a better match this time._"

Colleen just raised her eyebrows at the mysterious Illusion Fox Pokémon. "You bet! Okay, Feraligatr, let's start off with a Hydro Pump!"

This time, Entei was unable to evade and slammed into the opposite cave wall, severely weakened itself. Colleen blinked. _Okay . . . what's up with that? I couldn't touch Entei with Flygon . . . but Feraligatr's first attack hit home?_

"_I thought as much. Entei, Shadow Ball._"

"Hydro Cannon!"

The Shadow Ball dissolved into the Hydro Cannon, which once again hit Entei. Colleen's mouth dropped—Entei was unconscious!

"Whoooa," Wallace breathed.

"That was a bit . . . it was almost too quick!" Steven said, baffled.

"What's going on here?" Colleen asked, not believing she'd just taken out a Legendary Pokémon with two consecutive hits and no damage.

Zoroark ignored Colleen's question. "_Raikou, how about a Thunder attack?_"

"Feraligatr, dodge and use Blizzard!" Feraligatr opened its mouth and the cold blast of snow engulfed Raikou. Raikou's Thunder went way off-target, and it couldn't summon another attack. Colleen was getting really suspicious. "Okay, Feraligatr, Hydro Cannon!"

The blast of water shot through the snowstorm and into Raikou, who slammed into the wall, just like Entei, and fainted.

"Colleen, what just happened?" Wallace exclaimed. "This is insane, even for your prowess!"

"I don't know what's going on!" Colleen called back. "Feraligatr is powerful, but I don't know how it beat two Legendary Pokémon in less than five minutes!"

"It must have something to do with what Zoroark said," Steven realized. "It said that for you to win against the Legendary Beasts, you'd need a very, very strong heart. Colleen, you've proved to us numerous times how much you believe in your Pokémon, especially your party. I guess your belief is strong enough to increase your Pokémon's power so they can stand up to anything!"

"_Nice assumption,_" Zoroark sneered. "_But I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn up the heat. Since I know you can beat Suicune, I'm not going to let you battle it. Retreat, Legendary Beast of Water._" Suicune gave a melodious cry and evaporated. A puff of fine mist filled the room, which dissolved as soon as it made contact with something.

Zoroark stepped across from Feraligatr, its claws glowing. "_You will have to defeat me._"

Colleen's brow furrowed. _Oh, no . . . so I have to beat Zoroark to save the world now? Why me . . but here goes nothing._ "Feraligatr, prepare yourself! Okay, use Hydro Pump!"

Zoroark suddenly transformed into a Zapdos and used Thunder, hitting Feraligatr through its Hydro Pump. Feraligatr tried to shake off the shock, but fainted instead.

"Why do I feel like I jinxed it?" Wallace muttered.

"_It is no jinx. This Trainer is not strong enough to beat me, even with her amazing belief in her Pokémon._" Zoroark (who was still Zapdos) smirked triumphantly. "_I suggest you give up. You can't do a thing._"

Colleen recalled Feraligatr, thinking hard. _I wish I had Rayquaza right now . . . last time, it was to save my friends, but this time, it's the whole world! I can't let the _whole world_ down!_

_But Rayquaza would've come, if it truly thought I needed it . . . so that means I can do this, somehow, with my own Pokémon! I believe in them! We can do this!_ "I'm not giving up! Go, Blaziken!" Blaziken kicked and punched the air, the fire around its wrists spurting.

_I believe in you, Blaziken, you were my first Pokémon!_ "Blaziken, combine Fire Punch with Sky Uppercut!"

Blaziken was a blur as it sped towards the now-normal Zoroark, and a red burst along with a slash was seen across Zoroark. Blaziken then came back to Colleen.

Zoroark was growling, clutching its burn. It transformed into a Kyogre and shot a huge Hydro Pump at Blaziken.

"Blaziken, dodge and use ThunderPunch!" Blaziken leapt over the cannon of water and came back down with a sparking fist that had the same effect as what Zoroark had done to Feraligatr. Colleen could see Zoroark attempting to transform, but being electrocuted as a Kyogre wasn't helping. _What's going on? I'm actually attacking Zoroark? Is it because I want to save the world . . . or maybe that I believe in my Pokémon so much?_ Colleen looked at Zoroark, suddenly seeing how its eyes were so sad, and understanding filled her heart. _Something's wrong . . . and I think I know just what is._

"Colleen, Zoroark's paralyzed!" Steven's voice snapped Colleen out of her thoughts. "Take this chance!"

_Okay, Blaziken, one more hit!_ "Superpower!"

Blaziken's body glowed orange as it charged at Zoroark and collided with it. The ground actually shook, and small pieces of rock fell from the ceiling. Once the dust had cleared up, Colleen could see Zoroark standing, though shakily.

"_Blaziken blaze?_" Blaziken asked its Trainer.

"Not just yet, Blaziken," Colleen answered. She took a couple steps closer to Zoroark, wincing at the sudden pressure on her hurt ankle, seeing if the sparking fox would harm her, but it didn't. With Zoroark's suspicious gaze on her, Colleen walked over to the Illusion Fox Pokémon cautiously.

"Zoroark . . . I don't want to battle you for no reason. I can see it in your eyes—you aren't an evil Pokémon, and something besides Giovanni has got you worried."

Zoroark looked up at Colleen, its eyes softening.

Colleen stretched out a hand. "Zoroark, what's wrong? We can help you, if you stop this storm that's wreaking havoc on the Pokémon world." Colleen smiled. "Don't be afraid, Zoroark. It's our job to help Pokémon in need. Legendary or otherwise."

Zoroark's eyes swept from Colleen's outstretched hand to her face, debating. Its red claws brushed her hand, then firmed and the Illusion Fox Pokémon stood. Zoroark's clear blue eyes looked less piercing and more pitiful.

"_My child, Zorua . . . it has been taken away from me!_" Zoroark's snarling voice had been replaced with a frantic one. "_That man, I recognized him—he told a woman he'd hired to capture Zorua! They were relentless Pokémon poachers . . . I only want Zorua back._" Zoroark met Colleen's gaze. "_I'll do anything for you, I'll stop this storm . . . please, just find my precious child._"

Colleen's throat constricted with sadness and a rising anger at Giovanni. By now, Steven and Wallace had come over. "We'll help you, Zoroark. And I'm sorry about hurting you."

Zoroark actually smiled. "_I should have simply told you what was wrong. I hope you can find Zorua . . . come to the Cave of Origin when you find it. Suicune! Raikou! Entei!_"

The Legendary Beasts came to Zoroark questioningly. "_Stop this storm._"

Suicune, Raikou, and Entei looked at Zoroark strangely, then roared loudly.

"_The storm is over_."

"Thanks, Zoroark," Wallace said. "We really misjudged you."

"Just leave everything to the Pokémon League now," Steven reassured Zoroark with a smile.

Zoroark's clear eyes glistened. "_Thank you, all of you . . . I will be awaiting my child's return Good luck, and I will be seeing you later._"

Zoroark disappeared, along with the Legendary Beasts.

"_Blaze?_"

"Oh, sorry, Blaziken, I forgot you were out," Colleen told her evolved starter Pokémon. "Great job! Return!"

"Well, we should be going now," Wallace decided. "So we can get back to Fortree and plan on how to get Zorua back."

Steven and Colleen nodded, and Steven hoisted Colleen onto his back again. The three walked to the Cave of Origin's entrance. The door was gone, and the Pokémon Champions stepped outside. Colleen loved the scent of the fresh air, and the sky was a beautiful, clear turquoise. Everything was sparkling under the bright sun, and the flooding had already subsided.

"It's so pretty," Colleen said in awe, looking around.

"I can't believe we were having a huge storm about an hour ago," Wallace commented. "Wait, where are Roxanne, Flannery, and Brawly?"

"Hey, guys!" Brawly came running over to Colleen, Steven, and Wallace, the female Gym Leaders following.

"Colleen, you okay?" Roxanne asked concernedly when she saw Colleen on Steven's back.

"Yeah, my ankle's just sprained," Colleen replied. "It'll be better soon enough, in time for us to go save Zorua . . ."

"Zorua?" Flannery inquired.

"Oh, we'll tell you when we get back to Fortree," Steven answered. "It's not a mission complete just yet."

The old man who had been guarding the Cave of Origin walked over to the group. "Outstanding job, Pokémon Champions," he praised, his black eyes shining with admiration. "I knew your hearts were strong enough."

"All credit here goes to Colleen," Steven said graciously, tilting his head backwards to give Colleen a warm smile. Colleen smiled back shyly, warmth building in her cheeks.

"Yeah, she was totally epic in there!" Wallace supported, shooting a grin at Steven. "Steven, you'd better make her feel _really good_ in your own little special way when we get to Winona's house!"

Steven blushed lightly, shaking his head. "Really, Wallace . . ." Everyone laughed.

Colleen smirked teasingly at the teal-haired Champion. "Sure, say what you want, Wallace, but we all know that you really just can't wait to see Winona!"

**A/N: Well, that was a long chapter. Sigh the three-day weekend's over . . . school's almost over, though! I don't know the next time I'll update, 'cause things can get really unpredictable, but see you in chapter 16!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Yay a double-post today! I updated both of my stories! Here's the next chapter! It's fluffy, but they'll be on the trail to get to Zorua soon! Enjoy! BTW, I'll probably be posting more frequently in the next few weeks—summer break's starting—but I'm going on a long trip later, July, maybe, so I probably won't post for a long time.**

**Disclaimer: I BEAT FACTORY HEAD THORTON! A Cradily I faced before him gave me a hard half-an-hour with a combo of Ingrain, Toxic, Stockpile, and Double Team. My Garchomp, Claydol, and Tentacruel really came through! Okay, I'll stop beating around the bush . . . I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 16**

The ride back to Fortree was a faster and nicer one, with the pleasant sunshine, cloudless skies, and fresh air. Colleen's Flygon was still knocked-out. But since there was no more lightning, Steven and Roxanne provided their Skarmory and Aerodactyl, respectively. Roxanne was flying with Flannery on her Aerodactyl while Wallace was on Winona's Tropius, but it was Brawly, not Steven, who was mounted on Skarmory. Steven insisted he'd ride with Colleen on Salamence, to make sure her ankle wasn't further damaged.

Once they'd landed in front of Winona's house, Wallace, Roxanne, Flannery, and Brawly recalled their Pokémon and hurried inside after Steven said he'd help Colleen. Steven quickly stepped of Salamence and helped Colleen down. Colleen thanked him and recalled Salamence as Steven draped his arm around her waist to support her. "I'm taking a look at that ankle when we get inside."

"Thanks," Colleen said, smiling. "I bet Wallace couldn't wait to see Winona. Did you see how fast he left?"

"Save that one for when we get inside," Steven laughed. "He's always jumping to conclusions on us, we need lots of payback."

_I just wish those conclusions were true . . ._ Colleen thought. Instead, she said, "I can't wait to see Pichu!"

"Pichu must've been so worried. You two are inseparable."

"Everyone else neglected Pichu before I befriended it. So I guess it took an immense liking to me."

Steven and Colleen hobbled through the door, where Flannery, Roxanne, and Brawly were shedding their coats, collapsing with exhaustion onto the sofas, and retrieving the Poké Balls they'd left behind. Ash, May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu were relieved to see everyone back, Winona particularly so. She'd shed her tough exterior and was close to tears at seeing Wallace back, hugging the daylight out of him. Wallace was just about to burst into laughter, but was hugging Winona back.

"_CHU!_"

Colleen hugged the Tiny Mouse Pokémon to her chest with her free right arm. "I'm so glad to see you, too, Pichu!" Pichu nuzzled her neck.

"How are you feeling, Colleen?" May asked, hiding her smile when she saw Steven supporting Colleen.

"Okay. I just twisted my ankle."

The three Gym Leaders suddenly stood. "Sorry, everyone, but we'll need to get back to our hometowns," Roxanne said.

"Yeah, Dewford's a long way from here," Brawly added, holding up a Repeat Ball. "Plus, I promised my friend Andrew I'd return his Xatu ASAP."

"And I promised Grandfather I'd be home by three," Flannery finished. "His Charizard I borrowed eats lunch around then."

"No problem," Steven said.

"See you all later! Bye!"

"Bye!" The three Gym Leaders walked outside and took flight on their Flying-type Pokémon, waving to the others as they retreated farther over the ground.

"What kind of _confession_ did you make outside, Steven?" Wallace suddenly came striding into the scene, his arm around Winona. "Look at where you're _touching_ her!"

Steven's face reddened. "Wallace, I'm not _touching _her, and how do you expect her to get around on a sprained ankle?"

"You can walk on a sprained ankle, if you tried."

"Except Colleen obviously can't walk on it." May's smile broke through. Colleen couldn't tell if May was defending her and Steven or supporting Wallace.

"I'll take care of that," Steven said, taking off Colleen's coat and easing Colleen onto the floor so he could look at her ankle. May smoothly covered a glee-filled giggle with a cough.

"Well, Wallace and I will be going for a little stroll," Winona announced, squeezing Wallace's hand meaningfully. Wallace understood.

"Of course! The weather is so _lovely!_ Ash, May, Max, Brock, Pikachu, Pichu, care to join us?"

"_Pi!_" Pikachu and Pichu nodded simultaneously.

"Sure!" Ash agreed.

"Why not?" Brock grinned.

"Steven, Colleen, you can catch up later," May said sweetly, picking up Pichu.

"O-kay . . ." Colleen said skeptically.

"See you!" The door opened again, and the other Pokémon Trainers left.

Colleen turned back to Steven, a bit embarrassed. _They were planning to leave us alone the whole time . . . wow, you guys, wow. _

Steven bent closer to Colleen's foot. "Tell me where it hurts, okay?" Colleen nodded, feeling very weird and jumpy when Steven's nimble fingers pressed different parts of her foot. Five seconds later, Colleen winced when Steven touched a sensitive spot.

"Right here?"

"Yeah."

Steven examined Colleen's foot closely. "Okay, it's just a minimal sprain. You'll be better by tomorrow." He smiled. "We'll do some research tonight so we'll be ready to find Zorua tomorrow."

"Okay."

Steven stood and walked to his backpack, taking out a length of cloth bandage and a splint. He then knelt over Colleen's foot, putting the splint against it and wrapping the cloth around her foot and the splint gently. After making sure it was secure, Steven helped Colleen up and took her hand. "I think you can walk on that now. Shall we catch up to the others?"

Colleen smiled. "Sure." She found it easier to walk holding Steven's hand.

Steven closed the door with a small snap once they were outside.

"You were great when you were battling back there, Colleen," Steven commented when he and Colleen began to walk right of Winona's house. "It just proved what I told you; you really believe in your Pokémon, and that bond is what makes you such a powerful Trainer. Even Zoroark said so."

Colleen blushed. "Thank you, but the ones who deserve the credit are my Pokémon. They're always trying to get stronger for me, and in turn, I need to get stronger for them."

"Because they love their Trainer so much," Steven smiled, squeezing Colleen's hand. "I can tell why."

Colleen's blush darkened, not knowing what to say to that. _Thank goodness Wallace isn't here . . ._ "Do you know where the others went, Steven?"

"Not really," Steven admitted, looking around. "But there's this place called Forest Park Winona mentioned was a tourist attraction around Fortree. And the others went this way when they went out the door, so I think they're going to the park."

"You have a good memory," Colleen noted.

Steven laughed. "I remember random things, and that happened to be the random thing I remembered."

The two walked through a shiny green gate and into a lush pink and green park. Swablu and Taillow were chirping, while a Tropius nibbled leaves off a cherry blossom tree. Various Water-type Pokémon drank from a sparkling pond, Lotad submerged underneath. Oddish kept popping out of the ground and toddling away. The whole park was bathed in a carpet of fragrant pink petals. "Isn't it pretty?" Colleen sighed.

Steven froze, and Colleen looked at him questioningly. Steven pointed and whispered, "Look over there."

Colleen turned around, and breathed in awe. In the cherry blossom tree directly in front of them was an Altaria. It wasn't a normal Altaria, though—its fluff was pink and its body was green. The Altaria blended in with the tree it perched in, but apparently, not enough. Another Altaria gave a smooth hum and fluttered down to the pink Altaria. In contrast, this Altaria had a golden body and fluff. The pink Altaria hummed with the golden Altaria, and then the two of them took off, showering Colleen and Steven with cherry blossom petals.

Colleen inhaled the sweet aroma deeply, about to speak when her shoulder depressed. The earthy scent that fit like a puzzle piece with the flowery aroma filled her nose. "S-Steven?"

"Colleen . . . please, let me take care of you now. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. I know that this whole time you've been holding back all that pain. And you've gotten hurt more, too . . . I won't let you get hurt anymore." Steven's arms tightened around Colleen's waist, and Colleen fell against Steven because he wasn't supporting her anymore; she couldn't get up.

Colleen tried to say something, but was at a loss for words. _Steven . . . ?_

Steven sighed, and drew away. Colleen looked at him; his eyes clouded over for a second, but returned to normal. He smiled. "It's so pretty here, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah." Colleen was feeling a bit uneasy. _He's . . . does he . . . ?_

Steven took Colleen's hand again, and both walked a little way's distance until Wallace jumped out at them.

"About time!" Wallace exclaimed. He pointed to Steven gleefully, and Colleen's heart jumped. _Did he see?_ "I see you! You're holding hands like a lovey-dovey couple! Ha!"

"Couple?" Steven asked, as if he was affronted, but that smile still played at his lips. "As usual, my friend, you are mistaken. I'm holding her hand so she won't fall."

"Yeah," Colleen supported. "And aren't you and Winona the lovey-dovey couple?"

"Har de har," Wallace said sardonically. "You two always gang up on me, but you are _still_ holding hands!"

"Let them sit down, Wallace, sheesh!" Winona's voice came. "Steven, Colleen, we're over here!"

"Of course, my dear!" Wallace called back daintily, ignoring Winona's retort of, "Don't call me that in public!" He smirked at Steven and Colleen and motioned for them to continue.

Steven, Wallace, and Colleen walked to a clearing in the park. It was a huge space that was completely green and had very soft grass. Framing the edges of this space were the pink and white sakura petals. "Wow . . ." Colleen breathed.

A large red-and-white checkered tablecloth was laid over a section of the area, and sitting on it were Winona, May, and Brock, who was setting up lunch. Max, Ash, Pikachu, and Pichu were playing tag, along with Torkoal, Sceptile, and Glalie. May's Blaziken, Glaceon, Skitty, and Bulbasaur were gathered with four of Brock's Pokémon—Forretress, Crobat, Geodude, and Steelix—and relaxing. In the huge lake, Wallace's Milotic, Gyarados, Whiscash, Ludicolo, Wailord, and Tentacruel swam alongside May's Wartortle, Ash's Corphish, and the other two of Brock's Pokémon: Ludicolo and Marshtomp. Winona's Altaria, Skarmory, Pelipper, Tropius, Noctowl, and Dragonite flew overhead with Ash's Swellow and May's Beautifly.

"Hey, Colleen!" May greeted, smiling as Steven helped Colleen down. Pichu scampered over and prodded its Trainer's ankle curiously.

"Hi," Colleen said, hugging Pichu in greeting. "You can keep playing, Pichu, I won't be able to run around or anything at this moment." Pichu shook its head and planted itself in Colleen's lap stubbornly. Everyone laughed. "Okay, if you want to stay, you can." Colleen threw her five Poké Balls. "Come on out, everyone!"

The five Pokémon looked at Colleen for instruction. "You guys go have a great time, okay? I'll be right here!" The Pokémon nodded.

Salamence took off into the sky, greeted by its fellow Flying-types happily. Feraligatr crawled to the lake and splashed in, earning laughs from the other Water-type Pokémon. Blaziken joined the game of tag, leaping alongside May's, while Mightyena and Espeon curled into a ball and snoozed next to Colleen.

Steven's Pokémon joined in, too; Skarmory also took off for the sky, while Cradily and Armaldo settled near the water, but made sure not to get splashed. Metagross and Claydol limbered around, Claydol hovering, and Aggron decided to snooze next to Steven.

"I think I'm going to rest a bit, too." Steven stretched and lay down. "If you need anything, just ask me, okay, Colleen?"

"Take care of yourself for once, Steven," Colleen insisted. "Just _rest_, will you?" Steven chuckled, but closed his eyes.

"He cares about you a lot, and I'm not kidding around," Wallace said, seriously for once. "Really, Colleen, I mean it."

"I know," Colleen replied. "He cares a lot about everyone."

Wallace was about to open his mouth when a flurry of screams made him jump.

"_Oh my gosh! It's Wallace!_"

"No way! _The_ Wallace?"

"Oh, his hair is so lovely today!"

"Wallace, darling! Over here!"

"Did he just look over here?"

"Wallace, let's go to dinner!"

"Someone's popular," Colleen remarked, giggling when Steven rolled over to shield his ears.

"If only girls went after _me_ like that!" Brock moaned.

"You sure that'd be good?" May asked.

"Hmm . . . how should I break the news?" Wallace mused, covering his ears to think.

"What news?" Winona asked, looking a bit jealous that so many girls were fawning over Wallace.

"Aha!" Wallace grabbed Winona's arm. "Come with me for a sec."

"Wallace, what's—?"

"Questions later. Just come with me or we're going to have a ton of fangirls stampeding into our calm picnic!"

Colleen and Steven, who'd gotten up in the commotion, looked on as Wallace led Winona to the front of a tree and kissed her.

Right in front of all of Wallace's fangirls.

"_No way!_"

"Is—is Wallace . . . _kissing_ the Fortree Gym Leader Winona?"

"When did they get together?"

"No! That's means Wallace is—"

"—_TAKEN!_"

Weeping, the fangirls slinked away.

Colleen, May, Brock, and Steven laughed as Wallace led a blushing Winona back. "Very suave, Wallace," Steven chuckled. "That sure scared them off."

Wallace winked at Winona. "I must say, that was the most enjoyable alternative of enjoying a nice picnic."

**A/N: Yup, they're having a nice picnic before hitting the road. **** I'm a VineShipper, so that's why May still has her Bulbasaur **** Well, the next time I update, it'll probably be summer break for me. **** See you in chapter 17!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Woo hoo, summer break! 8****th**** grade, here I come! Now I can write tons :D Anyway, I don't have anything else to say . . . so here's chapter 17!**

**Disclaimer: I battled Hall Matron Argenta twice today—first time I was against a Gallade that took my Weavile out with one agonizing Close Combat (I'd left Gallade with a little more than half-damage with a Night Slash, no critical hits). The second time I battled a Blissey. My Weavile knew Brick Break, so I thought it'd be a piece of cake, but the Blissey knew **_**Fire Blast.**_** After a Fire Blast, Minimize, and Softboiled, I ended up winning with three Brick Breaks and a Poison Jab. I still don't own Pokémon, though. ********************************************************************************

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 17**

"Brock, need some help?" Colleen asked as Brock tried to carry numerous bowls of PokeBlocks and Poffins to the waiting Pokémon. "That's a lot of bowls."

"Thanks for asking, Colleen, but you just stay where you—yikes!" May rushed over and caught three of the bowls that had fallen off the top of the stack.

"Yeah, you know, help may not be such a bad idea . . ."

May laughed and passed the three bowls to Colleen so she could take more from Brock, and Colleen began to feed Pichu while Mightyena and Espeon began to eat by themselves.

"Hey, Ash!" May called. Ash looked up, being tagged by both Colleen and May's Blazikens as soon as he stopped. "Could you help us out?"

"No problem, May!" Ash looked at the Pokémon. "I'll be right back, you guys. Max'll keep you company!"

Colleen, Wallace, Winona, and Steven took up the job of setting the tablecloth, but Brock had already set out most of the cutlery. Colleen and Winona began to put the croissants on the plates, while Steven and Wallace laid down the spreads, meats, and vegetables. Steven's Skarmory came down from the sky and helped Winona and Colleen slice the croissants in half with alternating Slash, Air Slash, and Night Slash attacks to get the job done fast. In about a minute, all the croissants were neatly sliced.

"Thanks, Skarmory," Colleen smiled, stroking the metal bird Pokémon's head.

"Could you help us out over here, too, Skarmory?" Steven asked, motioning to the meat and veggies. Skarmory cawed and trotted over to its Trainer, wings gleaming in the sun.

"Ash, May, Brock, Max! Lunch is ready!" Wallace called out after everything was sliced. The three Trainers and kid ran over. Colleen finished feeding Pichu, who'd lain down and was now snoozing, and began to prepare her own croissant.

Mightyena nudged Colleen's knee, and she looked down at the black wolf Pokémon with a questioning look. Mightyena motioned towards the three mayo-ed slices of ham Colleen had left on the opposite edge of her plate.

"Oh, you want these?"

"_Rarr,_" Mightyena nodded, and Colleen placed it in Mightyena's bowl. Mightyena nuzzled Colleen's leg as a gesture of thanks. "Espeon, do you want some tuna?"

"_Espy!_" Espeon nodded, too, and it happily bit the small stack of fish Colleen fed it.

"I didn't know Pokémon could eat like actual animals," Max said curiously.

"They can, depending on the animal they're most like," Brock explained. "For example, May's Skitty and Glaceon are cat-like Pokémon, like Colleen's Espeon, which means they would eat tuna just like a normal cat would. Dogs can eat different types of meat, which explains why Colleen's Mightyena, and other dog Pokémon like Houndoom, would like meats like ham."

"You sure know a lot about Pokémon, Brock," Steven remarked. "You should become a Pokémon Breeder."

"That's what I'm aiming to be," Brock replied proudly.

"You'd make a great one, Brock," May smiled. "I can't wait until you become a famous Pokémon Breeder!"

"I'd leave Pikachu with you any day!" Ash supported. "Or any of my Pokémon!"

Brock's black eyes glittered. "Aww, thanks, you guys . . ."

"What's your goal, May?" Winona asked, turning to the brunette. "I haven't really seen you battle before."

"I want to be a Master Coordinator, like Wallace!" May said excitedly, reaching into her yellow waist pack. "I've got three Contest Ribbons so far!" She opened a red Ribbon Case to reveal three differently colored Ribbons. "I've seen some of your Contests, Wallace—the way you appeal is so beautiful!"

"Why, thank you, May." Wallace bowed. "I have also seen your appearances at the Grand Festivals of Kanto and Hoenn—very fine job, I must say. Top 8, and then Top 4! I see a Master Coordinator in the making."

"I guess a compliment from a Master Coordinator like Wallace means you're good . . ."

"Max!"

Everyone laughed, and Steven then asked, "So how's it going on your road to become a Pokémon Master, Ash?"

"Well, I guess I'm better than the last time we met," Ash replied, a proud grin on his face. "We've snagged the first five badges!" Pikachu high-fived Ash with a cheery "_Pika!_"

"Nice," Steven complimented, his face breaking into a grin. Soon, Colleen, Winona, and Wallace were smiling, too. _Ash doesn't know what he's in for,_ Colleen giggled. _Imagine the surprise . . ._

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"Do you know what obtaining five badges means?" Winona's smile grew bigger as Ash shook his head. "I'm your next Gym Leader!"

"What?" Ash cried. "I've been around the next Gym Leader for a whole week and I didn't do _anything?_ Man, I've wasted so much time! I couldn't gotten my sixth badge—"

"Calm down, Ash!" May jumped on him, laughing, too. "We've got other things to worry about right now! You can challenge Winona _later_. Patience is a virtue, you know."

"Okay, okay, fine," Ash agreed, a bit grumpily. "Wasted a whole week . . ."

"_Pika-chu . . ._" Pikachu said sympathetically, patting Ash's hat.

"I'm glad to see you're serious about your training," Steven said, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You've only improved from when I last saw you. Who knows? You could be the next Pokémon Champion, with your skills."

"Thanks, Steven," Ash grinned, his mood back to normal. "I'm looking forward to battling you, Wallace or Colleen!"

"Same here, Ash." Colleen smiled challengingly. "But just don't lose in _that_ battle, okay?"

"I'm not going to lose next time! I'll be ready!"

"I can't wait till we battle, then, Pokémon-Master-in-the-making!"

"Me either! Hey, a Pokémon-Master-in-the-making needs energy, so . . . who's up for some dessert?"

Everyone laughed, and as the Pokémon went back to frolicking about the park, the Trainers served themselves some tantalizing ice cream sundaes. The Trainers relaxed as they ate, laughing along as Max and May took turns insulting each other in childhood stories. Pichu woke up somewhere along the line, and decided to join Glaceon, Espeon, Mightyena, Pikachu, Skitty, Bulbasaur, Corphish, Geodude, and Marshtomp in a game of hide-and-go-seek.

Colleen really couldn't think of a better way to spend the afternoon. She was having lots of fun with her friends, and her Pokémon were, too. A perfect break before they hit the road again and—Colleen frowned—tracked down the poor Zorua. _We're going to have lots of work to do when we get back . . ._

When light reds, oranges, and yellows began to morph into deep blues, the Trainers recalled their Pokémon and began to pack up. Colleen picked up Pichu and tried to help, but Steven swept her off her feet—literally. He said he wanted to carry her because it was getting dark, and he didn't want her to fall. This time, Wallace wasn't smiling—_everyone_ was. _If only Steven and I were actually . . ._ Colleen shook her head slightly at the thought, but she was smiling a little as she recalled the incident earlier that day.

"Are you shivering, Colleen?" Steven's gentle voice came.

"Oh, no, I'm not . . ."

Once the Trainers had reached the house, it was already nine o'clock. Steven eased Colleen onto the sofa, and the younger Trainers decided to turn in, not wanting to disturb the other four.

"Good night, and good luck with finding out about Zorua!" they called as they trudged into various rooms of Winona's home.

Wallace stretched as Colleen tucked in Pichu. "Okay, guys, this is going to be one long night. Look for any information on Pokémon poachers, recent Pokénappings, anything to do with Pokémon disappearances. We have to log onto our accounts—Colleen, yours is installed on your laptop now that you are a League Champion—and we have access to pretty much anything on the web.

"Now, do we have any leads whatsoever?"

"Team Rocket," the other three said unanimously.

"Okay, stupid question. Well, do you think Giovanni did it again?"

"Most probable," Steven and Winona answered, but Colleen was thinking hard. _Wait . . . Giovanni was dealing with _us_ when Zorua was Pokénapped . . ._

"Colleen?"

"It couldn't have been him," Colleen spoke suddenly. "Guys, he was dealing with _us_ when Zoroark told us Zorua was Pokénapped. And all of his minions were there!"

"That's true," Steven realized. "Good thinking, Colleen."

"I have a feeling that Team Rocket had a hand in this," Colleen stated flatly, a little seed of dread in her. "But they didn't do it _directly_. They must have had outside people."

"Like who?"

Colleen grimaced, feeling a atrocious nostalgia wash over her. "Ever heard of Pokémon Hunter J?"

Pichu stirred and cried out in its sleep and Colleen put the Tiny Mouse Pokémon into her lap, arms around it tightly. "Don't worry, Pichu . . ."

Comprehension dawned on the other three. "Heard of her? She's one of the most notorious Pokémon poachers that ever existed!"

"Exactly." Colleen was frowning. "I've had an experience with her; she tried to get Pichu once."

"What?"

"Yeah. She saw Pichu battling another Trainer, and she immediately wanted it. For its 'rarity.' She managed to Pokénap Pichu, but I got it back, with a huge struggle. Hunter J's organization's got big and bad Pokémon: Tyranitar, Aggron, Ramparados, Machamp, and the like."

"Sheesh, you're like an Alakazam!" Wallace laughed, but a little uneasily. "But nice work anyway. This gives us a great lead to follow. Okay, everyone, let's get searching! Remember, we need to dispatch by tomorrow morning—Colleen, I trust your ankle will be better by then?"

"According to Steven, it will. I'll be able to walk."

"Excellent. Now, computers on!"

Colleen flipped open her black laptop and turned it on. She was surprised to find a new red-and-gold theme on her login page that stated 'Authorized by the Pokémon League. Welcome and please log in.'

Colleen typed in her password and opened up Porygonet, quickly going to the company's search engine.

Digging on Hunter J wasn't easy. Even with access to nearly every database on the planet, it was hard to single out one organization. Some pages didn't make sense at all; others were so incredibly tedious that it took almost half an hour to scan them. For reasons unknown, the computers would occasionally shut down without a moment's notice, and searching would restart. Colleen's eyes would flutter close occasionally, or she'd read the same line over and over again. It was about three hours of painstaking boredom.

At about midnight, Winona suddenly cried out and startled the Champions, all in stupors. "I've got something!"

The Champions crowded around Winona, and Colleen's eyes scanned the page. Winona had somehow hacked into a website that looked suspiciously like a Pokémon poacher's. The page contained an e-mail:

_**To:**__ Association Group: Members_

_**From:**__ J Group: Admins_

_Attention members:_

_I have acquired Zorua. Its parent, Zoroark, put up quite a fight, but I have the Illusion Fox Pokémon. Stand by for eight days, and then report to Mt. Pyre's summit. _

—_J_

"When was this e-mail sent?"

Winona squinted at the top of the page. "Seven days ago . . ."

"That's perfect! We can stop them tomorrow, because they're meeting at Mt. Pyre tomorrow!"

Colleen blinked rapidly to get the sleep out of her eyes, but she couldn't stop dozing off. The words everyone was speaking sounded like mush . . .

A strong arm slipped around Colleen. "You're getting really tired, aren't you?"

Colleen recognized the tender voice even in her sleepiness. "No, I just closed my eyes to . . . to . . ." Colleen's brain was failing her.

A small chuckle escaped Steven's lips. "You're so tired that you can't even think! You can just go to sleep, you know. We've got everything down."

"But . . ."

"No buts, just lean on me and go to sleep. Don't worry about a thing. And I'll make sure to keep an eye on Pichu."

Colleen tried to reply, but couldn't. She snuggled in Steven's warm embrace thankfully and sank into a blissful and peaceful sleep.

**A/N: Well, chapter 18 is the hunt for Zorua! Hopefully I'll have it up soon! Read and review, please!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Well, I'm back pretty early! With summer break here, it's getting easier to update! Well, here's chapter 18, and the hunt for Zorua begins! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I recently learned Japanese Trainers at the Battle Tower are H-A-R-D. But I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 18**

_I'm definitely not in bed right now . . ._

That was Colleen's first thought when she roused the next morning. She was leaning against something, warm and firm, but soft in a way. She opened her eyes, unable to recognize the earthy scent a certain someone always wore . . .

Pichu was still asleep, but to her surprise, Colleen could see Winona and Wallace leaning against each other, fast asleep. Wallace's cape was draped around Winona, and the only things you could see were their heads. _Aww . . . I need a camera! But how early is it if they aren't up?_

"Good morning, Colleen," a voice in her ear whispered. Colleen shivered at the tickling on her neck. _Oh, that's right—I was really sleepy last night, and Steven let me lean on him . . ._

"Oh, good morning, Steven." Colleen cleared her throat of the morning constriction. "How long have you been awake?"

"I just woke up," Steven replied quietly. "I didn't want you to fall or anything, so I didn't get up. And I'd probably wake up Winona and Wallace—I'm a bad cook. How's the ankle?"

Colleen poked her ankle and wiggled her toes. "I think it's healed." She slipped off the cast and massaged her ankle.

After a brief silence, Colleen piped up, "How long do you think it'll take them to wake up?" She nodded her head towards the sleeping couple.

"We have a mission today, so they better wake up in an hour. Or else _I'll _have to wake them up . . ."

At that moment, Wallace's aqua eyes opened slowly, and he jumped when he saw Steven and Colleen staring at him. For once, _his_ face was red (and he couldn't fight back—Steven had removed his arm from around Colleen so it looked like they were just looking at Wallace).

"Uh, g-good morning!" Wallace jumped to his feet; it seemed like he hadn't been sleeping ten seconds ago. Winona fell to the ground, and woke up from the impact.

"Ouch!"

"Oops, sorry, Winona . . ."

Steven and Colleen began to laugh. "We got you this time, didn't we?" Steven teased, winking at Colleen. "Success!"

"You guys look _sooo_ adorable sleeping with each other!" Colleen added, smirking.

"Yeah, ha ha ha." Wallace rolled his eyes and helped Winona up, both of their faces now beet red. "Well, we're _together_, unlike you two (but you will be soon), so we can do whatever we want!"

"We'll just watch you and tease you even more," Colleen challenged, grinning.

"_Watch?_" Wallace gasped. "My, my, your mind has gone somewhere dreadful, Colleen! You can't possibly _think_ of watching us when—"

"_Wallace!_" Winona interrupted loudly, her face as red as a Cherubi.

Steven and Colleen burst into laughter again. _Poor Winona! She's caught with our teasing _and_ Wallace's!_

"All right, all right, my darling, I'll stop there. I won't say anything in front of the children." Wallace stuck his tongue out at Steven and Colleen.

"Score three for us, is it?" Steven asked Colleen, smiling. They high-fived triumphantly.

Within the next hour, the other Trainers had woken up, and breakfast had been served. Wallace stood up at the front of the kitchen table, everyone's eyes turning to him.

"Okay, guys, we're heading to Mt. Pyre," Wallace began, his leader position taking over. "A band of Pokémon poachers under a vile woman by the name of Pokémon Hunter J is dropping off Zorua there, and we're going to stop them before they do."

"Additionally," Winona piped up. "Mt. Pyre is about a half an hour walk from here, so flying won't be necessary (be ready with a Surfing Pokémon, though). Plus, walking will give us a better advantage; the poachers won't be able to tell if we're there as easily. Finally, about half of us are going to fly to Lilycove and head to Mt. Pyre—that way, in case if the poachers run, we corner them on the opposite way."

"Now, group time!" Wallace announced. "Ash, Pikachu, Pichu, May, Colleen, and Steven, you're going to walk from here to Mt. Pyre. Winona, Brock, Max, and I are going to head over to Lilycove. Clear?"

"Clear!"

"_Pika pikachu!_"

"_Pichu pi!_"

"Then we're off!"

Pichu hopped onto Colleen's shoulder as Colleen rechecked her bag for everything. May had loaned Colleen a pair of denim shorts and a green Poké Ball hoodie for the trip; they had yet to go shopping for another Trainer outfit. "_Pichu?_"

"Okay, Pichu, I'm good to go!" Colleen smiled and patted Pichu's head. "Be careful, okay? We have to keep our guard up."

Pichu gave an authoritative thumbs-up. "_Pi chu!_"

Everyone walked outside, and Winona released her Tropius. Tropius was large enough to support all four of the Trainers and one Pokémon, so Winona, Wallace, Ash, Brock, and Pikachu climbed onto the Fruit Pokémon's back. "Be careful, everyone!" Brock called out as Tropius' leafy wings whooshed through the air.

"You, too!" Ash called back. "See you at Mt. Pyre!"

"Alright, Tropius, Fly!"

Ash, May, Pikachu, Steven, Pichu, and Colleen watched as Tropius' huge green wings grew smaller and smaller. Then, Steven said, "Well, we'd better get going."

Ash, May, and Colleen nodded, and the four began running. They crossed several bridges, ran through extremely tall grass, and apologized to many Trainers who wished for a battle, finally reaching the entrance to the Hoenn Safari Zone. "Mt. Pyre's just south of here!" Colleen informed them. "We'll need some Water-type Pokémon. I've got Feraligatr."

"May's got Wartortle, and I have Corphish."

"My Aggron knows Surf, so I think that'll work as well as a Water-type."

"Then we're good." The Trainers ran south to a small concrete dock, and Colleen cried out, "Let's go, Feraligatr!"

"_Ferr._" Feraligatr landed into the water with a splash, and Colleen climbed onto it as Steven mounted Aggron. May and Ash held on to Wartortle and Corphish, respectively, and, making no noises, propelled towards the clearing to the bluish mountain before them.

"Thanks, Feraligatr," Colleen said once they'd landed. "Return!"

All the Pokémon had been returned to their Poké Balls, and the Trainers surveyed the landscape. There was certainly a long way to the summit, but it turned out all they needed to scale was the outer wall.

"Do you guys hear that?" Ash whispered. Colleen could hear something, but they were too far away to decipher what was being said.

"Let's move closer." Steven led the other three behind a large rock and they crouched behind it. Colleen immediately scanned the sky for J's Salamence, then turned back to the voices.

Colleen could see a truck, and several people were just standing there with tough-looking Pokémon, mainly several Aggron, Ramparados, Rhyperior, and Tyranitar, but there were two Golem, three Machamp, and a Nidoqueen and Nidoking pair.

May gulped. "That's a lot of scary Pokémon . . ."

"_Pika pi . . ._"

". . . agreed on the payment . . ."

Colleen and Pichu flinched. They'd know that voice anywhere: it was Hunter J. Colleen peered around the rock, and sure enough, a tall woman with steely grey hair, black glasses, and a long purple-black coat was conversing with an eerie man wearing a blue hooded cloak.

"_Piiii . . ._" Pichu was holding onto Colleen for dear life. Colleen hugged it sympathetically. _Poor Pichu . . . it must be so scared from last time . . ._

The four Trainers and two Pokémon looked on as Hunter J pointed to a capsule lying on a platform. "This is the Dark Fox Pokémon, Zorua, the Pokémon you requested us to capture. We agreed on the payment of a billion Poké, did we not, sir?"

"A billion it is," the sinister man agreed. "Yale, Callaway."

Two men walked over to the man and handed him four briefcases. The man opened one of them, revealing countless green bills. "I'm sure this is enough?"

J lifted her glasses, blue eyes gleaming greedily. "Enough is an understatement . . ."

"She's going to give Zorua to that man!" Steven whispered. "We have to act now!"

"We need to get that capsule while she's drooling over the money . . ." Colleen mused. "A Pokémon could sneak over there . . ."

"How about Mightyena?" Ash suggested. "It wouldn't look really suspicious if a Mightyena was sneaking around here, right?" Pikachu nodded.

"But what if those scary Pokémon see Mightyena?" May asked fearfully.

"We'll have to take the chance," Colleen decided. She clipped a Dusk Ball off her belt. "Go, Mightyena!"

Mightyena looked at its Trainer inquiringly. "Mightyena, we need you to go snatch that capsule over there," Colleen explained quietly, pointing to the platform. "Try not to be seen—especially by those Pokémon."

Mightyena gave a snarl to show it understood, and it slinked over to the platform. Colleen watched anxiously as Mightyena took the capsule into its jaws carefully and crawled back to the bushes. With a triumphant low growl, it dropped the capsule into Colleen's arms.

Colleen thanked Mightyena and looked around. Had they been seen?

"Hey! You over there! Show yourselves!"

"We've got to run! Come on!" The Trainers stood and began to sprint towards the entrance to Mt. Pyre.

"Guys, veer right!" Steven shouted. "There's an Aggron guarding the entrance!"

Colleen ducked as the Aggron lashed its tail out, almost smashing in her head. Holding the capsule protectively, she shouted, "Mightyena, Dark Pulse! Pichu, massive-scale Thunder!"

Mightyena sent a black wave around the area, catching most of the Pokémon off balance, and continued to run with Colleen. Pichu quickly jumped off Colleen's shoulder and sent powerful lightning all around, knocking out two of the three Machamp.

"Colleen, you okay? That Aggron nearly hit your head!"

"I'm fine, let's just run! Mightyena, aim a Shadow Ball at that Ramparados!" Mightyena snarled and shot a purple glowing sphere at the incoming blue-domed Pokémon. But the Ramparados continued charging—straight at Colleen!

"Pichu, Thunder!" Pichu electrocuted the Head Butt Pokémon, but it seemed to do nothing!

"Colleen, look out!"

Colleen sprinted as fast as she could to the others, but trying to dodge a Rhyperior's Rock Wrecker resulted in her tripping. She tried to get up, but fell once again. She looked up; the Ramparados was getting closer . . .

"_PICHU!_" Pichu quickly let out a Thunder attack.

"_RARRRRR!_" Mightyena shot a Dark Pulse at Ramparados.

Both attacks combined did barely anything, and Colleen braced herself for the hit.

"Aggron, let's go! _Iron Tail!_"

A familiar Aggron roared in front of Colleen and smashed its glowing tail into the Ramparados' head. The Ramparados gave a faint cry and fell with a rumble.

Steven rushed over and helped Colleen up. "Colleen, are you hurt?"

"I'm not, but . . ." Colleen looked around, holding on to Steven. "We're surrounded."

Steven's Aggron and Mightyena snarled at the other Pokémon and humans. Colleen looked for a loophole, but none was there.

"_Ma! Machamp!_"

"Eek! Hey, stop!"

"Let her go!"

Colleen struggled against the Machamp's bind, but the muscular Pokémon wasn't affected in the least. Steven was about to call for an attack. "Aggron, use Ear—!"

"I suggest you do not do that, Hoenn Champion Steven Stone," a smooth voice sliced through his command. "Or I will tell Machamp to use Cross Chop and slaughter your poor girlfriend here. All of you, keep your Pokémon where they are, to prevent a completely unnecessary death."

Steven scowled, but motioned for Aggron to stop its attack.

"You are inexpressibly handsome _and_ you listen to your elders. What a perfect young man."

Pichu's eyes met cold blue ones, and with a faint "_Chuuu . . ._" it dashed into Steven's arms in fear, hiding its face. Steven's scowl deepened, and he glared at the woman.

"Stop scaring Pichu, you witch!" Colleen cried out, taking pity on Pichu. Mightyena snarled threateningly and snapped its jaws.

"Shut your muzzle, dog." The woman leaned in towards Colleen, and Colleen clutched Zorua's capsule even tighter. "Get away!" she shouted.

"Mouthy, are we?" Pokémon Hunter J smirked malevolently. "It has been too long; you've changed quite a bit, Hoenn Champion Colleen Rose."

**A/N: Dun dun duuuuun! :P Well, hopefully chapter 19 will be up tomorrow! **** R&R!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Here I am again, with chapter 19! :D I can't believe the next chapter's already chapter 20! Well, I think there are only five or so chapters left in **_**The Hoenn Journeys**_** But let's make it last! Here's the confrontation with Hunter J! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: *sigh* . . . I accidentally taught my Snorlax with bad Sp. Attack Shock Wave . . . I don't own Pokémon . . .**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 19**

"How is Pichu doing?" J asked maliciously, shooting another glance at Pichu. Pichu shrank back.

"Well until it saw your face!"

"No matter, I do not care anyway. Now, to business." J leaned in towards Colleen. "The capsule. Give it to me."

"No way!" Colleen answered defiantly.

"No? Are you sure?"

Colleen's arms tightened around the capsule in response.

"Machamp, let's start off with a Karate Chop."

One of Machamp's four arms glowed white and it smacked Colleen across the face. Colleen tightened her mouth, tasting no blood, but there was going to be a bruise.

"Will you change your answer?"

"Never!"

J sighed. "Pitiful. Machamp, Seismic Toss."

Colleen's stomach lurched as Machamp tossed her, hard, into a Rhyperior's horn. Colleen screamed as the wound in her side was reopened. She looked down at the capsule in despair; it was safe, at least.

"Not again!" May and Ash cried out.

"_RARRARRAR!_" Mightyena roared.

"_PIIIIIIIIICHUUUUUUUUU!_" Pichu cried.

"Colleen!" Steven tried to run over, but Machamp Thunderpunched him in the stomach. "_Argh!_"

"_Steven!_" Colleen teetered towards him, but the Rhyperior held her back. Ash was pulling at the Machamp while May and Mightyena were hitting it anywhere they could find. Pichu was torn between Colleen and Steven, looking back and forth, not knowing whom to help.

"Ste . . . ven . . ." Colleen looked up. May and Ash were supporting a shaken Steven, but otherwise, he looked fine. Colleen breathed out in relief, until J walked over to her.

"Was that enough pain?" J sneered. "I'll ask you once more: _will you give me that Zorua?_"

Colleen took a deep breath and looked J in the eyes. "I. Will. _Never_."

Traces of anger were quickly forming on J's face. "Say that _again?_"

With all the strength she could muster, Colleen yelled, "_I won't give you Zorua! No matter how much you hurt me, I won't give it to you!_"

J was breathing heavily. "Rebellious little bitch . . . then I will simply take it from you."

_Oh, no, now what do I do?_ Colleen looked at the capsule in despair as J approached. _Maybe if I released it? I'll try anything, Zorua just needs to get out of here . . ._ Colleen yanked on the top of the capsule as J wrapped her hands around the bottom half, and thankfully, the capsule opened immediately.

Out of the capsule jumped a little black fox. It had a tuft of fur on its head that was tinged with red, and its small legs were red at the end. Its eyelids were crimson, framing piercing blue eyes exactly like Zoroark's. The little Pokémon looked around curiously.

"Dammit!" J barked at her followers. "Contain that fox at once!"

"Zorua!" The little fox perked at its name and looked at Colleen inquisitively. "Run! Before they capture you again!"

"_Zorua?_" Zorua looked at Colleen worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, Zorua! Go!" Colleen cried.

"_Zor!_" Zorua cried.

"Please, for both of our sakes!" Colleen pleaded.

Zorua then shook its head defiantly. "_Zor zor!_" Its mouth opened, and a strong Dark Pulse knocked the lackeys off their feet. Then, facing the sky, Zorua began to howl.

"_!_"

_What . . . ?_

"All of you _get up_, dammit! Stop that damn fox!"

Colleen watched as the air before Zorua grew hazy. Suddenly, a circle of air lit up, and a large black fox with a red mane walked out of it.

"Is that . . . Zoroark?" Ash asked.

"_Pika pika . . ._" Pikachu replied in awe.

"Wow . . ." May breathed.

"_Zorua?_" Zoroark gasped. "_My . . . my child . . ._"

"Zoroark!" Steven and Colleen shouted at the same time. Zoroark gave them a thankful look, and then its eyes grew red as it spotted J. "_You were the ones . . . who kidnapped my child?_"

J, her minions, and her Pokémon all stepped back, and then J yelled, "Rhyperior!"

Colleen realized with a pang of fear that a Rhyperior was holding her, and at that instant, the Rhyperior threw her—over the edge of the mountain!

The wind lashed at her body, whipped at her hair, and screamed like a banshee past her ears. Colleen screwed her eyes shut. _This-is-the-end-this-is-the-end-this-is-the-end!_

"_Skarmory, I choose you! Fly!_"

Everything stopped abruptly, and Colleen opened her eyes in relief. She could never have been gladder to see the warm grey eyes. "Steven . . ."

"Colleen . . . I'm so sorry . . ." Steven's eyes were full of despair, and he hugged Colleen to him tightly. "You've gotten hurt _again_. . . I'm so sorry . . ."

"S-Steven, none of us expected th-this . . . p-please, don't b-blame yourself . . . I'm just g-glad Z-Zorua's okay . . ."

"Skarmory, fly us back to the cliff," Steven ordered, and Skarmory cawed in response, soaring upwards.

"I'm b-bleeding all over your c-clothes . . ." Colleen realized, her right side pressed against Steven's stomach.

"Don't worry about that," Steven replied as Skarmory landed. Colleen held onto Steven, wincing—it was getting hard to stand—and looked around. The truck was gone, and so were J, her people, and her Pokémon. Zoroark was hugging Zorua, smiling and crying at the same time.

"Colleen! Steven!"

Ash, May, Mightyena, Pikachu, and Pichu rushed over. Mightyena and Pichu were staring at Colleen's wound with wide eyes.

"Don't worry, you t-two," Colleen reassured them. "It'll heal."

"_Pi . . ._" Pichu's eyes were teary. Mightyena bent down and put Pichu on its back, patting its head reassuringly.

"_I cannot thank you enough._" Zoroark came over, Zorua sleeping soundly in its arms. "_I wish I could heal your wound . . ._"

"As l-long as Zorua's safe, I d-don't mind," Colleen replied, managing a smile. "Physical w-wounds heal . . . but mental ones m-may scar for life."

"_So true,_" Zoroark smiled. "_All of you, thank you so much . . . now I must find a new home. A place that no one could disturb our peace. I hope we will meet again. Farewell._"

A similar portal to the one Zorua had summoned appeared to Zoroark's right. Zorua opened its eyes, meeting Colleen's with a sad, "_Zor . . ._"

Colleen smiled. "Bye, Zorua. I hope we can m-meet again! In better circumstances, of c-course."

Zorua stared at Colleen, and then its face broke into a grin. "_Zorua!_" it cried, waving a paw. Colleen waved, too, until the portal disappeared, along with Zorua and Zoroark.

"Well, that's that," Ash concluded. "Hunter J's gone, and so are all of her lackeys."

"_Pi pikachu!_"

"Where are the others, though?" May asked, looking around. "They missed everything!"

"We need to get home, and soon," Steven said, taking out his PokéNav. "I'll call Wallace, one sec . . ."

Colleen was afraid to look at how bad her wound was, but she looked down anyway and cringed. In the blandest terms possible: it was bleeding like heck. It was already taking her all of her strength to remain conscious.

"That looks really bad, Colleen," May said, her voice quiet.

"Worse than last time, almost," Ash added. Pikachu could see the blood staining Steven's jacket, and it put its bright yellow paw on Colleen's shoulder comfortingly. "_Pika pi . . ._"

Colleen smiled. "Aww, thanks, P-Pikachu. Don't worry, p-please, I'll be j-just fine . . ."

". . . Wallace? Yeah, we got Zorua back to Zoroark. Listen, there's a problem; Colleen's badly hurt—no, no, worse, that wound in her side was reopened, I'll explain later. Just get here ASAP; we're on the . . . east side of the mountain, near that huge cliff . . . okay. Okay, just get here soon . . . thanks. Bye."

Colleen was trying to hold her breath; she was breathing so heavily that every time she exhaled, more blood gushed out of her wound with a _very_ unpleasant feeling. _I can't faint . . . I can't faint . . . _

"Colleen, just hold on . . ." Steven unwound the red bandanna from his collar and pressed it to the gash. Colleen watched in horror as the blood advanced and stained the crimson cloth, even tingeing Steven's fingertips. Mightyena growled and Pichu started to cry.

"Oh m-m-my . . ." Colleen's vision was starting to blur. "M-M-May, I r-r-ruined y-your outf-fit . . ."

"C-Colleen, it's okay . . ." May trailed off, a tear trickling down her cheek. Ash put an arm around her to soothe her, but his eyes were clouding over, too.

"This is really serious . . ." Steven muttered, and Colleen knew the blood had gushed into the dripping handkerchief because of her breathing. _I'm feeling dizzy . . . but I can't faint . . ._

Steven had taken off his jacket and was trying to staunch the flow, but more and more blood was bursting from the wound. Colleen closed her eyes to rid herself on the pain and faintness, but it was back even worse once she reopened her eyes. _Ugh . . . this feels worse than last time . . ._

"St-Steven . . . I-I'm s-s-sorry . . ." Colleen managed to breathe out. "I-I c-c-can't h-hold on . . ." And she let darkness consume her.

**A/N: Kind-of cliffie. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you in chapter 20! R&R!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Well, here I am with chapter 20! Thanks for all of the reviews, everyone, thanks so much! My total is now 60, **_**waaaay**_** more than I ever expected, so keep reviewing, guys! Thanks for sticking with the story! So enjoy chapter 20!**

**Disclaimer: I got a German Chikorita (Endivie) and a Japanese Squirtle (Zenigame) from the GTS **** But I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 20**

Colleen's eyelids twitched as a mush of familiar voices wafted into her ears. She desperately wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids were lead. It didn't feel like it was bleeding anymore—openly, anyway, and Colleen could feel a bandage—but a faint throb pulsed in her side. She was lying on something rigid, but it was covered by something soft.

A tickle in Colleen's throat forced her to cough, and her eyes flew open. After her vision stopped swirling, Colleen could see Wallace, Winona, Brock, Max, Steven, and Ash all watching her tensely. May rushed over with a cup of water and helped Colleen drink it.

When May had removed the cup from Colleen's lips, Pichu and Mightyena plodded over, frowns on their faces. Pichu looked like it had been crying.

"P-Pichu, Mightyena . . ." Colleen's voice wouldn't go above a raspy whisper. "B-both of you, I'm okay, s-see?" Colleen stretched out a hand, which Mightyena nuzzled and licked sadly. Pichu held on to Colleen's hand like a life preserver.

"Wh-where are we?" Colleen asked, trying to clear her throat as she looked around. "Th-this d-doesn't look l-like Winona's h-house . . ."

"It was impossible to walk or fly back to Fortree without having the risk of you being even more injured than now," Wallace explained.

"We found this cabin in our haste to find shelter," Winona continued, motioning to the wooden walls. "It turns out an elderly couple lives on Mt. Pyre's summit, and this cabin is here for visitors. They were kind enough to let us stay, free of charge, when they saw our situation. Plus, they knew a lot about herbal remedies, and they helped to bandage your wound and clean it up a bit."

"You've lost a lot of blood, Colleen . . ." May said, her voice wobbling.

"We were so scared!" Max added, holding on to his older sister.

"Are you feeling any better?" Ash asked, eyes wide with concern. Pikachu sat on his shoulder, watching Colleen carefully.

"Like is it hurting a lot . . . ?" Brock egged her on.

"N-not a lot, actually . . . it's m-more like a th-throb, b-but it's f-faint."

Then Colleen realized something was wrong. She looked at Steven, expecting to meet his gaze, but his eyes were averted, looking anywhere besides her. Steven's jacket and necktie were absent from his normal black dress pants and white collared shirt, and Colleen felt an apologetic twinge when she remembered he had used both articles of clothing to staunch her bleeding. _He looks so sad . . . he must be beating himself up for letting me get hurt . . ._

"_Pichu . . ._" Pichu sniffed, a tear trickling down from each of its eyes as it hugged Colleen's hand even tighter.

"P-Pichu, please, d-don't cry . . ." Mightyena gave a soft whine and put its head next to Colleen's arm. Colleen gazed down at her two Pokémon; she'd never seen them, especially Mightyena, so depressed and dejected.

"Those two were restless." A smile played at Winona's mouth. "They were so anxious. If it hadn't been such a dire situation, it would've been cute."

Colleen smiled, and petted Pichu and Mightyena's heads. "You b-both are so sweet. Th-thank you."

"The old man and woman told us that it wouldn't be safe to move you just yet," Brock told Colleen. "So we're going to be here for a couple days."

"Oh . . ." Colleen looked at her lap shamefully. "I'm s-sorry, everyone . . . n-now we have t-to stay here f-for two d-days—"

"You have no reason to apologize, Colleen." Colleen's ears perked up at hearing the voice of the quiet one, and she looked towards Steven. Now, his eyes were burning into her. "If anyone's at fault here, it should be me."

"Steven, don't b-blame yourself," Colleen replied firmly. "It w-wasn't you who c-caused my injury, was it? Y-you didn't just s-stand there, y-you tried t-to help me!"

"Thank you for trying, Colleen, but . . . after I promised to protect you, to keep you from getting hurt . . . I couldn't do it, and you've gotten severely injured _again_. And for me . . . that's unacceptable."

Colleen opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Steven looked worse than before, and his gaze had dropped to the interesting wood-panel floor once again.

"Just like a romantic couple! When's your marriage?" Even Wallace's voice wasn't as teasing and full-of-life as before. Colleen felt terrible for making Steven feel terrible, so she didn't bother making a witty comeback.

An awkward silence hung in the air, until Ash piped up, "I'm hungry!"

Laughter broke out like a wildfire. "Ash's stomach is his top priority," Brock chuckled.

"So's mine!" May laughed as her stomach gave a protesting growl.

"Well, I guess I could use a little snack, too . . ." Max gave in.

"_Pika pi!_" Pikachu added.

"We could run over to Lilycove and grab something to bring back here . . ." Brock looked at the other four. "Do you mind?"

"No, no, not at all!" Wallace answered for them.

"We'll see you later, then," May said as she opened the wooden door.

"Bye!" The door snapped shut, leaving the four older Trainers and two Pokémon alone. It was quiet for a little bit.

"Colleen, Steven, do you mind?" Wallace said suddenly. "Winona and I would like to take a little stroll."

"N-no p-problem . . ." Colleen said, glancing at Mightyena and Pichu, who had been quiet for quite a while now. Mightyena looked sleepy as it watched Pichu sleep, and Colleen pulled out its Dusk Ball. "Return, Mightyena." Mightyena gave Colleen a thankful look before it disappeared inside its Dusk Ball.

"Thanks." Wallace took Winona's hand and stood. "Hey, snap him out of his trance," he mouthed as he passed, inclining his head slightly towards Steven. "I'm sure you'll be able to." Wallace opened the door, and both he and Winona called out, "See you in a little bit!"

With the second snap of the closing door, Colleen expected Steven to walk over to the makeshift bed and sit next to her, but he stayed where he was, still staring at the floor.

_What do I say?_ Colleen bit her lip. But before she could brainstorm, Steven spoke for her.

"Colleen . . . I really, truly am sorry. There are no words to convey how terrible I feel."

"S-Steven—" Colleen tried, but Steven plowed on.

"I promised to protect you, and look at what happened! I am such a failure!"

"Steven—" Colleen tried again, a little louder.

"I don't mind if you don't forgive me . . . who would after what I've—"

"_Steven!_"

Steven finally looked up. Colleen sat herself up and put her slightly shaking feet onto the floor, walking over to a surprised Steven.

"Steven," Colleen said in a softer tone, clasping Steven's hand. "I truly, t-truly don't think you d-did anything you should b-blame yourself for. You _did_ p-protect me: from th-that Ramparados. And y-your j-jacket and n-necktie . . . you s-sacrificed them when y-you tried t-to help my w-wound." Colleen stared into Steven's silver eyes. "P-please, don't blame y-yourself. Even y-you can't be p-perfect. I know y-you tried your b-best to help me, and I th-thank you for that."

Colleen suddenly lost her balance, and she pitched forward. Two strong arms caught her around her waist, and Colleen smiled as she fell to her knees and found herself in Steven's embrace. _This is the Steven I know and love so much._

"Even though I wish it was me who'd gotten hurt, you're right, Colleen. Now I'm sorry I was acting so stupid." Steven kissed the top of Colleen's head. "Thanks for snapping me out of my craziness."

"You c-can always count on m-me to do that."

"You have this spell around you that can snap me out of anything."

Colleen and Steven stayed in each other's embrace until the door opened. Colleen pulled a pillow out from under the bed and sat on it, looking at the door and masking her surprise. Winona and Wallace came in, hand-in-hand, followed by Ash, May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu, who were holding four boxes. A delectable cheesy and saucy aroma followed them in. "_Pikachuuu!_" Pikachu cried out.

Wallace raised his eyebrow meaningfully at Colleen, and Colleen gave him a thumbs-up. Wallace smiled and announced, "Dinner's served! It's pizza and soda!"

"You told me pizza was too _messy_ for a Master Coordinator like you?" Steven laughed.

Wallace opened one of the boxes, and Colleen's mouth watered. "Well, right now, I'm starving, so who cares? None of my fans are here either."

"Except _one_," Colleen smiled, indicating Winona. "A very _avid_ f-fan."

"Colleen!" Winona blushed.

Everyone laughed and took a slice of pizza. Colleen tipped a little of her 7-Up! into a small cup for Pichu, then fed Pichu most of the cheesy bits of her pizza slice. She ate the rest herself.

After the pizza, everyone started getting ready for bed. Wallace had all the essentials in a little kit he brought with him, and there were enough sleeping bags for everyone.

By the time Colleen had returned from the "bathroom" (it had taken her a long time because of her weakness), the others were in their sleeping bags already. Colleen looked for her plain pink one next to a small yellow one, smiling when she saw Max slip between Ash and May's sleeping bags and put their hands together. When he saw Colleen watching, he put a finger to his mouth indignantly as he went back to his sleeping bag next to Brock. Giggling to herself, Colleen nodded. _I might be awakened by a shriek tomorrow morning . . ._

Colleen looked out over the sea of sleeping bags again and found Wallace and Winona cuddling in a single extra-large sleeping bag. She giggled again, quickly looking away before Winona or Wallace saw her.

After proceeding for a little longer, Colleen lost her balance again, but this time, she fell onto her sleeping bag. Steven's blue one was right next to hers, and he gave her a smile as she went under the covers. Colleen turned to check if Pichu was in its sleeping bag, and when she turned back around, Steven put his arms around her, best as he could with the sleeping bag.

"Good night, Colleen."

Colleen snuggled into Steven's embrace. "G-good night, Steven."

**A/N: Yay fluff! XD So, please R&R, and see you in chapter 21!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Yay chapter 21! I've got everything planned out for the rest of **_**The Hoenn Journeys**_**, and I think, at this rate, we've got three to five chapters left after this one, and then the epilogue. I'm feeling sad that it's ending, but I'm glad so many people like my story! Thanks a bunch, and here's chapter 21! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I've gotten a Bulbasaur, Magnezone, and Gallade from the GTS! Yay! But I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 21**

When Colleen awoke the next morning, her throat was back to normal, but her side was hurting a little more. Steven was still holding her, but he was still asleep. _Could I slip away without waking him up?_

Just then, a sharp rapping echoed from the wooden door, and everyone stirred. Steven yawned and opened his eyes, stretching and smiling pleasantly when he met Colleen's eyes. "Good morning, Colleen."

"Good morning—"

"EEP!"

"WHOA!"

Everyone looked towards Ash and May, who were blushing and looking at each other in surprise. Colleen remembered what Max had done last night, and stifled a giggle. She stole a glance at Max—the little boy with glasses was snickering behind his hand.

"I'm really sorry, May, I move a lot in my sleep—"

"No, no, Ash, I must have had a funny dream and—"

"What's up with you two this morning?" Brock cut in smoothly, yawning.

"_Pika?_" Pikachu asked, watching Ash curiously.

"_Pi chu?_" Pichu peeked around Colleen's propped-up arm to look at May.

May and Ash looked at each other embarrassedly. "Nothing," they answered together.

An irritated knock issued from the door, and Wallace called out sleepily, "Who is it?"

"It's my husband and I, from yesterday! We've come to check on the girl's wound!"

Winona glanced at Colleen, and then replied, "Okay! Give us a minute to clear this place!"

Colleen scooted out of her sleeping bag and tried to get up, but Steven reassured her, "I'll get yours, you just sit here."

"_Pi!_" Colleen and Steven laughed as Pichu tried to carry its sleeping bag to Colleen's bag, but fell. Steven held out a hand to catch Pichu. "Don't worry, Pichu, I'll get yours, too."

"_Pichu . . ._" Pichu wiped its forehead, giggling, and hopped off Steven's hand. Steven laughed and folded Pichu's sleeping bag into Colleen's, placing it into the pink bag.

Once the room was cleared, Winona called out, "Come on in!"

The door opened, and an elderly man and woman walked inside. Pichu dashed over to them and greeted them with a hearty, "_Pichu! Pichu pi!_"

The woman patted Pichu's head and looked at Colleen. "Ah, good to see you are awake!" she said, smiling. "I'm Lenore, and this is my husband, Gregory. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too, ma'am," Colleen said. "Thank you for helping me out yesterday."

"It was no problem, dear," the man replied jovially. "No problem at all!"

"Your friends told us that you are one of the Hoenn League Champions. Then I'd take it you know Phoebe?"

"Yes, I do. She's one of the Hoenn Elite Four."

"Let me tell you, it takes a lot to defeat our granddaughter," the old man said, setting down a bag with cloth bandage peeking out.

"Lenore and Gregory here are Phoebe's grandparents," Wallace explained. "That's why Phoebe is so adept at using Ghost-types; Mt. Pyre's interior is a cemetery for deceased Pokémon."

"Our granddaughter makes us proud, that she does," Lenore said pompously. She knelt down next to Colleen. "All right, let us go back to business. Steven, dear, would you please carry Colleen to the platform and keep her stable? And the rest of the boys: look away." Gregory, Brock, Max, Ash, and Wallace did as they were told, May and Winona watching them closely.

Steven scooped Colleen into his arms and walked a little distance to the blanket-covered wood. He set her down carefully and kept his arm around Colleen.

"Thank you." Lenore set the bag down, next to Colleen. "Colleen, dear, this may sting a little. I'll have to clean your wound with rubbing alcohol before changing the bandage." In a quieter voice, she continued, "I'm sorry if this is awkward, but . . . I need you to take off your shirt. Otherwise, I won't be able to fix the wound."

"Oh. Okay." Colleen felt her cheeks heat up as she lifted her shirt off her torso. She spared a glance at Steven; a pink blush dusted his cheeks and his eyes were fixed determinedly on a small burn in the wooden floor. Pichu managed to stifle a wave of giggles by keeping its hand firmly over its mouth.

With a small ripping sound, the bandage came off. Colleen grimaced at the shriveled gash and looked away. "It looks much better," Lenore reassured her, dabbing a little rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball.

Colleen winced as her side started to sting with the rubbing alcohol. "I'm sorry, dear, it nips a bit."

Finally, Lenore wrapped a length of cloth bandage around Colleen's waist, covering up the gash snugly. "Thank you, dear." Colleen stood and quickly slipped on her nightshirt, now able to meet Steven's eyes. "You boys may look now. You may want to listen to what we have to say."

Gregory walked over to his wife as she produced a diagnostic. "Colleen, I think you can be 'dispatched' today; your injury will be healed in a few days' time, perhaps, and you should be able to move about freely." Lenore's face suddenly darkened. "And that may be a good omen."

Everyone exchanged apprehensive glances. Colleen then ventured, "A good omen for what?"

Lenore and Gregory looked at one another, and then sighed. Lenore's misty blue eyes turned onto Steven. "Steven, dear . . . we received a voice message from the Fortree Pokémon Center. Team Rocket has taken over the Devon Corporation building in Rustboro."

Colleen's head whipped around to Steven, whose eyes were wide with shock. "Oh, no, Dad . . ."

Lenore sighed and took a small green disc out of her bag. "This is the message Nurse Joy gave us." She pressed a button at the center of the disc, and a frantic and breathless voice emitted from it.

"Steven, it's Sophie, I just came back from visiting your dad. I'm in Fortree's Pokémon Center recovering—I hope you get this message in time! It's Team Rocket—they've taken over Devon Corporation. I just barely got out of the building alive.

"You'll have to rescue your dad, Steven, or . . . I don't even want to think about it! They're guarding the place with lots of Mightyena and Houndoom, and then as you get farther into the building, there's more Nidoqueen, Kangaskhan, Nidoking, and Rhydon. Your dad's on the topmost floor, with Giovanni. Please, help your dad and stay safe! I hope I'll be able to see you soon—meet with me at Fortree's Pokémon Center when you come back. I'll be waiting—good luck!"

The cabin went silent, except for Steven's heavy breathing. Colleen watched Steven, her heart pounding with anger and sadness. _Why does Giovanni have to rage his fury on so many innocents?_

"Sophie's right . . ." Steven muttered (Colleen wondered, _Who's Sophie?_), and he stood up. "I'm going. I have to help Dad!"

"We're right behind you!" Wallace supported.

Steven looked at Wallace forlornly. "Wallace, I want you all of you to stay here. I can't take any chances."

Colleen stood this time. "Steven, you can't be thinking to go there alone! It's too dangerous!"

"Colleen, I can't let any of you get hurt. I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me."

"But Steven, you know what could happen if you went alone! In fact, I'd bet that was Giovanni's plan all along! He's trying to _lure_ you, by taking your father captive!"

"Colleen, I'm going to go alone."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Out of everyone here, you're the most hurt. How could I bring you along an risk your life?"

Colleen crossed her arms and stared at Steven stubbornly. "You are _not_ going alone, Steven. I'm coming, whether you like it or not."

Steven opened his mouth to protest, but a fierce and determined glare from Colleen made him rethink his words. Pichu hopped onto Colleen's shoulder, pleading with its eyes.

Steven sighed. "Okay, Colleen. All I ask is that you put yourself before me. If you get hurt one more time, I swear, I will go insane."

Colleen's face relaxed into a smile, and to her delight, Steven returned her smile. "Thank you for obliging, Steven. Now, allow me a moment to change."

Colleen dashed to the bathroom and changed into a black top and shorts. When she came back out, she checked her bag for everything while Steven snapped his Poké Balls onto his belt.

"Steven, all I can say is . . . be careful," Wallace sighed. "I don't want my best friend to die or something."

"Let's hope for the best," Steven smiled. "Just stay here with the others, Wallace—Colleen and I will be fine, if all goes well. I'll be back before you know it."

"You be careful, too, Colleen," May said concernedly.

"_Pikachu pi,_" Pikachu added, mentioning Pichu.

"Those defensive Pokémon are going to be tough to get by," Winona mused. "Special attacks like Thunderbolt or Flamethrower would be best: they attack from a distance. Try not to get physical—it could prove deadly for your Pokémon."

"Mind that injury of yours," Lenore added. "Sophie mentioned that Nidoking and Nidoqueen are among those that guard the building. Well, those Pokémon sometimes have Poison Point, an ability that can poison an opponent once it comes into contact with the Pokémon in question."

"And if you get pricked by Poison Point now . . ." Gregory continued. "Well, it won't be pretty when you change your bandages tonight."

"You might need to disguise yourselves," Brock suggested, sending a look at Ash. "And we've got just the thing."

Ash understood, and took two black parcels out of his green backpack. "You guys should bring these along. They're Team Rocket uniforms—one for each of you. We snagged 'em from Jessie and James a long time ago."

"Jessie and James?"

Steven made a face. "Don't ask. I've never seen such oblivious Team Rocket thugs . . ."

The tension in the air broke as everyone laughed. After giving their good-byes, Colleen, Pichu, and Steven stepped outside. Steven turned to look at Colleen. "Colleen . . . are you positive that you want to do this? I really won't mind if you don't want to."

"I want to do this," Colleen said firmly, looking into Steven's eyes. "Steven, he's your dad—of course I want to help him! He doesn't deserve this, especially since the only reason Giovanni's doing this is because of me."

Steven smiled. "Then let's do this."

Colleen smiled back, and grabbed her Timer Ball. "Okay! Salamence, I choose you!" Salamence looked at its Trainer questioningly. "Salamence, we need you to fly us to Rustboro, as fast as you can, okay? Try to stay discreet."

Salamence nodded, and allowed Steven, Pichu, and Colleen to mount it. With a small roar, it flapped its maroon wings into the air and began to fly at a speedy pace. Colleen held on to Salamence's neck tightly, minding Pichu while she did. _Hang on, Mr. Stone, we're coming!_

**A/N: Well, I had to write something that Colleen and Steven were alone in, and voila! You'll find the significance of some things in this chapter later—things are about to get a bit shaky! R&R!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Here's chapter 22, everyone! I have not much else to say, so . . . enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I battled Arcade Star Dahlia today—she tried using Will-o-Wisp on my already burned Snorlax and then tried using Shadow Punch on my Snorlax :P Thus, my Snorlax defeated her and I got the Silver Print at the Battle Arcade! Two more Silver Prints to go! No, I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 22**

Fifteen minutes into the flight, Salamence growled and stopped flying. Pichu poked Salamence's head curiously.

"What's up, Salamence?" Colleen questioned. "Rustboro's down there?" Salamence nodded. "Great! Try to fly us to the edge of the city, maybe. We can't be seen by Team Rocket."

Salamence growled to show it understood, and began to descend diagonally. Within five minutes, they'd reached ground. Colleen, Pichu, and Steven slipped off Salamence. "Thanks, Salamence! Return!"

"The Devon Corporation building is maybe a kilometer or so away," Steven concluded, surveying the area in which they'd landed. "Sophie mentioned they had Mightyena . . ."

_Sophie? Who is this Sophie? _Colleen thought again. _Maybe I'll ask Steven later . . ._

Steven turned to Colleen. "Colleen, if you send out Mightyena, we can look like a couple of guards, with our outfits on. The only problem is . . ." Steven looked at Pichu apologetically. "I don't think Team Rocket has a Pichu."

"_Pichu . . ._" Pichu hung its head.

"That's true . . ." Colleen realized. _Then how can we sneak in without them seeing Pichu? I'm not leaving Pichu here . . ._

"Let's see . . ." Steven snapped his fingers. "Colleen, what if we kept out normal clothes on underneath the Rocket uniforms, and you could put Pichu in your bag? After all, we're wearing pretty not-bulky clothing, and my dress pants look exactly like the Rocket uniforms' pants."

"That would work!" Colleen turned to Pichu. "But Pichu, are you okay with that?"

Pichu nodded vigorously. "_Chu!_"

"Then let's get to work."

Colleen and Steven slipped behind different trees and changed into the Team Rocket uniforms. Colleen felt strange wearing the black clothing, and hoped no one would mistake them as associates of Team Rocket. The clothing was made of heavy material, which would weigh them down if they needed to run, so Colleen kept the adjustments slightly loose, just in case.

"Alright, Pichu, into the bag you go," Colleen said, facing her Pokémon. "I'll call on you when I need you, okay? If I yell an attack, scamper out of the bag and my shirt and do the attack."

"_Pi!_" Pichu nodded, and curled up into the bag. Colleen put on her bag and pulled the uniform over it. She emerged from behind the tree, fixing the black cap, when she saw Steven.

It may have been a Team Rocket uniform, but Steven looked unbearably handsome anyway. In fact, wearing the uniform, he looked a little . . . naughty. In a sexy way. Colleen blushed at her impeding thoughts.

"Ugh, these uniforms are heavy . . ." Steven looked at Colleen and then said, "We'll need to hide your hair. Do you have a hair elastic or something you could use to pile your hair into the hat?"

"Um, yeah." Pichu shifted inside Colleen's bag and tossed Colleen a black hair band. "Thanks, Pichu."

"Here, let me get that." Colleen hoped the back of her neck wasn't turning red when Steven gently piled her long pink hair into a loose bun and hid it under the black cap. Steven turned Colleen back around to see. "Okay, you look less recognizable now. Now, we just need Mightyena and we'll be set."

Pichu popped a Dusk Ball out from Colleen's bag. "Thanks again, Pichu. Go, Mightyena!"

Colleen told the black wolf Pokémon their plan and Mightyena growled to show it comprehended. It sat down next to Colleen.

"Ready?" Steven still seemed unsure as to whether bringing Colleen was a good idea.

Colleen squeezed his gloved hand reassuringly. "Don't about me, Steven. Right now, it's your dad who's in trouble."

Steven smiled at her. "Then let's go."

Mightyena dashed between Steven and Colleen as the three ran towards the Devon Corporation building. Once they reached the entrance, the two guards saluted them. Unsure of what to do, Colleen and Steven returned the gesture.

"Are you two the replacements for Jay and Glen?" the female guard asked.

"Yes, we are," Colleen replied, her stomach squeezing with unease. _We're walking right into the lion's mouth . . ._

"Wonderful," the male guard said, motioning for his Mightyena to step aside. "Jay and Glen have already left, so just take your posts."

"What floor are we guarding again?" Steven asked.

"Second floor. We're guarding the first floor already. You'll see more of our people when you get inside."

_Then we have a long way to go . . ._ "Thank you."

"And hey, if there are any intruders, don't stress too much about catching them. The Boss has high security on the third to fifth floors. As in high security Pokémon. The intruders'll just be mashed to bits. And don't take the elevator—the Boss has it on shut down. If you try . . . well, let's just say you're not gonna like the consequences."

Colleen and Steven glanced at each other for a moment, and then saluted the two grunts. "Thank you very much. We'll go take our posts now."

Steven, Colleen, and Mightyena calmly walked inside. Colleen looked around; she vaguely remembered this building's interior from when she'd gotten her PokéNav very early in her journey. She, Steven, and Mightyena made their way to the stairs.

"This place is teeming with grunts . . ." Steven muttered to Colleen. "If they get word an intruder's in the building, we're in big trouble."

"As long as we're wearing these, I think we're good," Colleen replied quietly. "But they are awfully heavy. It'll be hard to run away. Just in case, I'm wearing my other clothes underneath."

"Same here." Colleen and Steven began to climb the stairs, Mightyena following carefully. Its gray ears were perked up, detecting any noises.

The three had reached the second floor, which was completely empty. "Let's run," Steven said, shedding his Team Rocket uniform as Colleen did the same. Colleen took Pichu out of her bag, tucked the two uniforms in Pichu's place, and Steven, Colleen, and Mightyena sprinted. "Colleen, be careful—that grunt said that there are Pokémon for the next three floors."

"Right!"

The two Trainers and two Pokémon dashed up the stairs. Mightyena was snarling. "Steven, there are some Pokémon up there . . ." Colleen tensed. Her palms were getting sweaty.

Before Colleen reached the end of the staircase, Steven flung out an arm to stop her. Mightyena was in front of Steven, snarling silently. "Steady, Colleen, there are some Pokémon here . . . watch your step."

Colleen ducked under Steven's arm and looked around. There were three Kangaskhan there, who looked like they hadn't seen the four of them. _Maybe we can get away without them noticing?_ With tiptoes, Colleen, Steven, and Mightyena inched past the Kangaskhan, until Colleen noticed red eyes on her. The brown armor twitched, and Colleen immediately yelled, "_Pichu, Thunder! Mightyena, Dark Pulse!_"

Pichu jumped and let out a massive shock that left the Kangaskhan paralyzed while Mightyena emitted a black wave around the area. Colleen and Steven began to run, and made it into the staircase right before the Kangaskhans' Flamethrowers scorched them. Colleen could hear the Kangaskhan rampaging up the stairs.

"Be careful, Steven, the Kangaskhan are coming! And here comes floor four!" Colleen let Steven pass her, and then shouted, "Pichu, another Thunder attack! Mightyena, let's have another Dark Pulse!"

Pichu's shock temporarily paralyzed the Kangaskhan once again, and they toppled down the staircase when Mightyena's Dark Pulse knocked them off balance. Colleen and Steven reached the fourth floor and met the challenging eyes of five Rhydon.

"Aggron, Earthquake!" Steven shouted. He grabbed Colleen's hand and sprinted as the Rhydons' attention turned to Aggron, and the ground began to quake. By this time, the Kangaskhan had caught up. "We have to get through the next floor! If we do, we'll reach a corridor that the Pokémon can't get by, and we'll be able to get to Dad's room!" Steven turned around and yelled, "Aggron, return!"

"We've seen Kangaskhan and Rhydon, which means the next floor . . ." Colleen frowned as she stepped foot on the fifth floor. ". . . has Nidoqueen and Nidoking."

"Colleen, get to the center of the room! We have less of a chance of being hit by behind!"

Colleen began to run, shouting, "Pichu, Signal Beam! Mightyena, keep at it with Dark Pulse!" Pichu emitted a rainbow-colored ray from its mouth and struck the other Pokémon while Mightyena let out several Dark Pulses, wobbling the other Pokémon.

"_Nidooooo!_" Colleen whirled around to see a pair of Nidoqueen and Nidoking charging at her, their claws glowing purple. Steven leapt out of nowhere and yanked Colleen out of the way. His arm was scratched by the double Poison Jab attack.

"Steven!"

"Don't worry, Colleen, it's just a scratch! There's the exit, we have to hurry! We can shake off the Pokémon!"

"Got it!" Colleen whistled to her Pokémon. "Pichu, Mightyena, just sprint! Make it to the staircase!"

Colleen had never run faster before. She made the longest strides possible, well aware of the attacks forming behind her, but she kept sprinting. With the loud thumps of her feet hitting the stairs, Colleen jumped over the last step, landing the carpeted floor of Mr. Stone's room.

Colleen turned around, relieved to see Mightyena, Pichu, and Steven on the top step. Steven nodded towards the door, and the four walked to it. "One . . . two . . . three!"

All four of them tackled the door, and it fell with a loud bang. Colleen was first inside, and anger flared inside her as she met the cold black eyes of the Team Rocket Leader.

"Why, hello there, Pokémon Champions," Giovanni smirked. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Cut the fancy greetings, Giovanni." Steven's eyes were narrowed, and his voice had a steely edge to it Colleen had never heard. "_Where is my father?_"

". . . Steven . . ."

Colleen and Steven looked behind Giovanni, where a grey-haired man in a purple suit lay bound to an office chair. Sweat was pouring down his face, and his familiarly grey eyes were clouded over in pain.

"Dad!"

"Mr. Stone!"

Colleen made to run over, but a Nidoking appeared in front of Colleen and slashed at her. Steven pulled her back before it hit her.

"Argh . . . why do you have to include so many innocent people in this?" Colleen cried. "Your problem is with _me_! Why do you have to hurt Mr. Stone?"

"As I told you before, your weaknesses are your loved ones," Giovanni sneered. "You won't break if I did anything to you—you'll break if I did something to those you care for."

"_Blaziken, Blast Burn!_"

Giovanni's eyes widened, but the attack wasn't heading for him—Blaziken's Blast Burn erupted over Nidoking. Nidoking didn't expect the attack, and it was a one-hit-KO. Colleen immediately ran to Mr. Stone's side, and untied his bonds.

"Thank you, Colleen . . ." Mr. Stone coughed. Steven watched his father in concern as blood spattered his hand. "My son . . ."

"Dad!" Steven held on to Mr. Stone's shoulders as he fell backwards, unconscious.

"Mr. Stone . . . Giovanni, what did you do to Mr. Stone?" Colleen demanded angrily.

"Formaldehyde." Giovanni smirked malevolently. "Sound familiar, Colleen?"

Colleen flinched as the images came to mind. "You dishonorable . . ." She clenched her fists. Blaziken, Pichu, and Mightyena came to her side, staring menacingly at Giovanni. "I challenge you! You don't have your genetically enhanced Pokémon, so it's a fair battle! I'll show you how Pokémon can be powerful by believing in them!"

Blaziken, Pichu, and Mightyena nodded, tensed for a battle. Colleen was about to call for an attack when Steven interrupted her.

"Wait a minute, Colleen."

Colleen was taken aback as Steven placed his father in the chair and stepped in front of Colleen, holding his arm out in front of her. "Steven . . . ?"

Steven softened and met Colleen's eyes. "Let me take care of this one. Just call 911 really quickly—the Rustboro police will know where to find us." He gave her an encouraging smile and turned back to Giovanni, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Giovanni, you've caused me more hurt than you can ever imagine. First, you tortured Colleen so horribly. You hurt her so much by making her friend turn against her, and you fed her to the dogs and left her for dead! And now you targeted my own father, just to get revenge on us! I'll make you pay for your despicable actions, Giovanni. So in honor of the ones I love that you've hurt—" Steven clicked a Poké Ball off his belt and gave Giovanni a dagger-like glare. "—I challenge you!"

Colleen had just finished dialing when she heard what Steven had said. _Ones he loves? Did he mean . . . _

Giovanni clapped mockingly. "So noble of you to stand up for your father and your girlfriend, Steven! I'm moved. And thus, I accept your challenge. A 3-on-3 match. Even without my genetically enhanced Pokémon, you'll find me quite the Trainer, even if you are a Champion. You do know I used to be the Gym Leader of Viridian City, the last Gym of the Kanto League?"

"Thank Arceus that Lorelei replaced you," Steven murmured. He threw his Poké Ball. "Let's go, Skarmory!"

Skarmory cawed as it came out of its Poké Ball, its sharp feathers bristling. Giovanni smirked and tossed his Poké Ball. "Enter the field, Houndoom."

Colleen bit her lip. _I hope Skarmory's good against Fire-types . . . it was knocked-out in the Champion battle by Mightyena's Fire Fang . . ._

"Skarmory, Air Slash!"

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!"

Skarmory sliced the air and sent white waves at Houndoom while the dog Pokémon spat a rather large burst of fire from its mouth. Skarmory soared above the Flamethrower and created another Air Slash, this time stronger. Houndoom howled as the white waves slashed at it.

"Shake it off, Houndoom, and use Heat Wave!"

Houndoom opened its mouth and shot a bigger blast of fire at Skarmory.

"Skarmory, Twister!" Skarmory responded by flapping its wings rapidly, and a vortex engulfed Houndoom. Houndoom barked and struggled to get free as Steven called out, "Okay, Skarmory, finish it with Sky Attack!"

Skarmory flew into the air and went into a nosedive towards the suspended Houndoom, its body glowing red. It smashed into Houndoom, which whimpered and fainted.

_Yes!_ Colleen cheered silently. _One down!_

Steven smiled at the metal bird Pokémon. "Awesome job, Skarmory! Take a rest!" Skarmory disappeared inside its Poké Ball.

"Interesting, Steven," Giovanni noted. "No one has defeated my Houndoom with a Steel-type. Let's see how you handle Honchkrow!"

The massive black bird Pokémon cawed and flapped its wings. Steven clipped a Great Ball off his belt. "I choose you, Aggron!"

"_Aggron!_" Aggron roared, whipping its tail around.

"Honchkrow, Heat Wave!"

Not being as nimble as Skarmory, Aggron couldn't dodge the Heat Wave without crashing into the wall. Steven quickly called for an attack. "Aggron, Iron Tail!"

Aggron's glowing tail lashed out and smashed into Honchkrow. Honchkrow gave a high-pitched caw. "Finish it with Dragon Claw!" Aggron's claws glowed blue and it slashed Honchkrow, which fainted with another caw.

_Two down!_ Colleen thought happily. "Great job, Steven!" she cheered.

"I owe it to Aggron," Steven smiled. "That was amazing, Aggron, take a rest!"

"Good job so far, but here comes the center of my team." Giovanni threw a completely black Poké Ball. "Pulverize them, Dark Rhyperior!"

"A Dark Pokémon?" Colleen and Steven said at the same time.

"You aren't getting away from me that easily," Giovanni sneered.

Colleen looked at Steven's hand. He was clenching an Ultra Ball, and Colleen knew which one of Steven's treasured Pokémon claimed it. Steven shouted, "Psych this battle up, Metagross!"

Metagross gave its metallic moan and stared determinedly at Rhyperior with its red eyes. "Metagross, Bullet Punch!"

With blinding speed Metagross charged at Rhyperior and smashed its arms into Rhyperior's chest. Giovanni commanded, "Rhyperior, Rock Wrecker!"

"Metagross, return the attack with Psychic!"

Metagross' eyes glowed, and it took control of the Rock Wrecker attack, slamming the pointed stones into Rhyperior. "Now use Meteor Mash!"

Metagross' arm glowed with a golden star as it punched Rhyperior. Rhyperior cried out.

"Rhyperior, Fire Punch!" Rhyperior smashed its blazing fist into the top of Metagross' head, and Metagross groaned.

"Don't worry, Metagross, just hang on! Flash Cannon!"

A silver beam erupted from Metagross' mouth and engulfed Rhyperior. Once the attack was finished, the Dark Rhyperior was unconscious.

"You beat him!" Colleen cheered, running over to hug Steven.

"_Pi chu!_"

"_Raarrr!_"

"_Blaziken!_"

Giovanni cursed and had three more Poké Balls in his hand. "I am not going to let you get away! Not after everything that has happened to me, because of you! Kill them, Nido—"

"_FREEZE! THIS IS THE POLICE!_"

Everyone whirled around to see a female blue-haired police officer with a gun pointed at Giovanni. Behind her were several men in blue police uniforms. "Giovanni, you and Team Rocket are under arrest!"

On cue, a policeman snapped a pair of handcuffs over Giovanni's wrists. Giovanni cursed again, struggling to get free, but four more policemen came over to restrain the Rocket Leader.

"Officer Jenny!" Colleen cried out gratefully.

"Thank you both for your help in finding Giovanni," Jenny said, smiling. "We've been trying to track him down ever since we revoked his Gym License, and today I can finally say that we captured the notorious leader of Team Rocket."

"It was a pleasure, officer," Steven said, bowing. "We are glad we could assist you."

A groan was heard, and Steven rushed over to his father. "Dad, are you okay?"

Mr. Stone coughed. "D-don't worry, son, I'll be j-just fine just after a little bit. Thank you for saving me, both of you . . . I hope you aren't hurt too badly."

"We aren't, thanks to Steven," Colleen smiled. "He battled Giovanni and beat him, with none of his Pokémon knocked out!"

Mr. Stone managed a smile. "I'm very proud of you, Steven."

"Colleen was a big help, as always," Steven insisted, smiling at his partner.

"Alright, alright! I'm proud of _both_ of you!" The three began to laugh.

"Is that you, Mr. Stone?" Jenny bit her lip, and then spoke. "Tell you what, as a reward, I'll take you wherever you need to head. My chopper's outside."

"Thank you very much, Officer Jenny," Colleen replied, returning Mightyena and Blaziken to their Poké Balls and picking up Pichu. "Could you take us to Fortree City?"

"No problem." Jenny winked at them. "Come on outside, I'll get you guys there in a flash. My men have rounded up all the Pokémon, so you don't need to worry."

Colleen smiled. _And now, we don't need to worry about Giovanni either._

**A/N: Wow this was a long chapter **** R&R and see you in chapter 23!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Sigh . . . I think there are only two chapters left after this one :( Thank you, everyone, for all your reviews! Like I said, I can't believe how much feedback I've gotten for this fanfiction, and it isn't even my first one! So here's Chapter 23 :)**

**Disclaimer: Finally got enough BP to teach my Feraligatr Ice Punch . . . that **_**really**_** helped in my battle with Tower Tycoon Palmer (I won! Now I just need the Silver Print from the Battle Castle . . .), but I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 23**

With Jenny's chopper, Steven, Mr. Stone, Colleen, and Pichu reached Fortree City in only ten minutes. After thanking the policewoman, Steven and Colleen led Mr. Stone to Winona's house (Wallace had called them and said that they had gone back there).

"_Piiiichuuu!_" Pichu cried out. The door opened in response to Pichu's cry, and the four of them walked inside.

"Why, hello there!" Mr. Stone cried out jovially upon seeing the other six faces.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Stone," Wallace smiled.

"Please, feel at home, Mr. Stone," Winona offered, getting up. "I'll be right back—I'm making tea." She left for the kitchen.

"I didn't expect to see you four here," Mr. Stone said, looking at Ash, May, Max, and Brock. "I haven't see you for so long!"

"You've met them?" Steven asked.

"Your dad helped me fix our PokéNav when I accidentally spilled something on it!" Max supplied. "He's so nice!"

Mr. Stone laughed heartily. "You reminded me so much of Steven when he was younger, Max. That's why I took such a liking to you."

"So how are you both, Colleen, Steven?" May questioned, turning to the two anxiously.

"Well, Mr. Stone's here, but how was the mission?" Brock continued.

Colleen and Steven took turns telling the story, from flying to Rustboro to Giovanni's arrest. Around the time they'd reached the part when Steven battled Giovanni, Winona arrived with tea.

"You two went through a lot to rescue me," Mr. Stone said once Colleen had wrapped up the story. "You both are very strong Pokémon Trainers." He reached over and clasped each of their hands. "I'm proud of you. Especially you, Steven." Mr. Stone smiled into Steven's eyes. "I always know I can rely on you. I love you, my son."

Steven's cheeks reddened. "Dad . . ."

"You may be twenty, but you're still my little boy, Steven."

"Aww . . ." Wallace smirked. "_Daddy wuvs you, Steven_."

Mr. Stone turned to Wallace and Winona. "So, it's been the talk of the papers lately, Wallace, but I had to ask you! Are you and Winona dating?"

Steven and Colleen burst into laughter as Wallace and Winona looked at each other, flustered.

"It's been in the papers?" Winona repeated nervously.

"B-but how did that happen?" Wallace sputtered.

"Remember the picnic?" Steven laughed.

"When you kissed Winona in the park?" Colleen added.

"And all the _fangirls_ saw?" May giggled.

"I had to scare them off, didn't I?"

Everyone laughed, and once the tea had been drained from the cups, Mr. Stone said, "I'd like to visit Sophie. She barely escaped . . . she told me she'd be at Fortree's Pokémon Center."

"No problem," Winona replied, setting her cup on the table. "Let's go!"

_This Sophie came up again . . . who is she?_ Colleen wondered as everyone stood. A strange feeling was growing uncontrollably in her stomach—foreboding?

The Pokémon Center was right next door, so Colleen didn't have to wait very long to see who this Sophie was. After Max had pulled Brock away from Nurse Joy (he was flirting with her again), Mr. Stone asked, "Is Sophie Silph here?"

"Yes, she is, Mr. Stone," Nurse Joy replied cheerily. "Room 9. Go down that hall and make a left."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." The Trainers walked down the hall as Nurse Joy had instructed, and Mr. Stone opened the door. Everyone filed in, and Colleen peered inside.

A girl who looked around Steven's age was sitting on the Pokémon Center's bed, her long slim legs hanging off the edge of the blankets. Her shiny brown hair hung in lovely delicate curls around her face, which had a natural rosy blush to it. Colleen blinked. _She's so pretty . . . but who is she, exactly?_

The girl's caramel hazel eyes lit up when she saw Steven, and she hugged him immediately. Colleen was even more puzzled now. _Is she related to Steven? Why is she hugging him?_ "Steven, it's been so long!" she exclaimed. "I've missed you so much!"

"It _has_ been long, hasn't it?" Steven replied, a bit embarrassed that the girl was hugging him. "How have you and your father been, Sophie?"

Colleen's mind was whirring. _So _this_ is Sophie . . . she's acting so familiar . . ._

"We've been fine, thank you," Sophie answered, still holding Steven's hand. "I'm glad to see you saved your father, Steven."

"Oh, I want you to meet someone." Steven seemed grateful for a moment to release Sophie's hand and pulled Colleen over. "Sophie, this is Colleen Rose. She's one of the Hoenn Champions and she helped me out in finding Dad. With her sidekick, Pichu," Steven added, smiling at the Tiny Mouse Pokémon.

"Nice to meet you!" Colleen said, holding out her hand.

"_Chupi!_" Pichu added.

"Same here!" Sophie smiled, shaking Colleen's hand and patting Pichu's head. "I'm Sophie Silph, daughter of Alex Silph who owns the Silph Company in Kanto and Johto, and Steven's fiancé."

Colleen felt her heart stop. For all she knew, time had stopped.

_Steven's fiancé? When did Steven get a fiancé?_

Colleen opened her mouth to say something, but she was afraid something strange would come out. She sent a silent look at Pichu, who was as shocked as Colleen, telling it to stay quiet for now.

"Wow, Steven! And here I thought you were the quiet type!" Wallace thumped Steven on the back. "A fiancé at twenty? I'm your age and I just got a girlfriend!"

Steven's face was red like a Cherubi. "Uh, um—"

Sophie giggled. "Steven, you always get so _flustered_ whenever I mention it! You've known it since you learned to talk!"

"When were you and Steven engaged?" Winona asked interestedly.

"Mr. Silph and I are very good friends," Mr. Stone explained. "We have been for a very long time. Once Steven and Sophie were born, within a year of each other, we decided to have an arranged marriage for them, maybe when they were twenty, so the two of us could retire and Steven and Sophie could take over."

"That's why I went to visit Mr. Stone," Sophie picked up, her eyes sparkling as she turned to Steven. "I turned twenty a week ago, and I discussed it with your dad, Steven—he said we can get married next week!"

Colleen felt the tears forming, but she blinked them away as she, along with the others, uttered their congratulations. She plastered a smile on her face as Sophie looked at her.

"Aren't they a perfect match?" Mr. Stone said, the grin on his face never slipping away. "They have the same personalities, and they'd look wonderful together!"

"You got a pretty girl, Steven," Brock commented. His eyes became hearts and he continued with his hands clasped, "If only a pretty girl could love me!"

Max, May, and Ash sweatdropped and answered, "Not if you act like that, Romeo."

As everyone talked around her, Colleen didn't know how much else she could take. _Oh, Arceus, please _please_ help me . . . I can't survive here without breaking for much longer . . ._

As if an answer to her plea, Nurse Joy opened the door. "A call for Ash Ketchum, Brock Harrison, and May and Max Maple?"

"Oh, it must be Professor Oak!" Ash smacked his forehead. "I completely forgot!"

"We'll meet you at my house, okay, guys?" Winona told them as they stood. "And Ash—we can have that Gym Battle, too."

"Awesome!" Ash shouted. "Thanks, Winona!" Colleen had to smile at his enthusiasm.

"We'll see you soon, Sophie," May assured. "Bye, and congrats!"

"Okay, May," Sophie smiled. "Thank you, and see you soon!"

Mr. Stone stood. "Don't come with me, Steven, I'm going to get checked-up a bit. Stay here with these four, okay?"

"Fine," Steven sighed. "Just don't get into trouble."

"You don't trust your old man?" Mr. Stone winked. "_I'll be fine, son._ I'll come back in a little bit—until then, sayonara!"

The door snapped shut, and Colleen felt even more awkward. _Great . . . _

Sophie turned to Colleen, and Colleen tried to look normal and relax. "Steven seems to like you a lot. How long have you known him?"

"Umm . . ." Colleen would've looked at Steven for help, but she couldn't meet his eyes. Not yet. "A couple months ago, I guess."

"Wow, that's cool!" Sophie looked genuinely interested. "You must be a strong Trainer to beat Steven and Wallace! I'm honored to meet you!"

"Thanks," Colleen said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice._ She doesn't sound mean,_ a small voice in her mind piped up. _Try making friends with her._ "So, uh . . . are you a Trainer?"

Sophie gave a sweet little laugh. "Oh, no, not me! I _have_ Pokémon—I just don't like battling with them! I like cute Pokémon; I have Skitty, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Eevee, Azurill, and Happiny, at the moment. All Normal-types. Though I would like a Smoochum . . . a Bonsly . . . or a Wynaut . . . or Elekid . . . wait, there's Magby, too!" She laughed again. "I love baby Pokémon . . . your Pichu's adorable!"

"_Pichu!_" Pichu thanked, but its paws tightened on Colleen's shoulder.

"Thanks," Colleen said again, smiling best she could. "You're so sweet!"

"Aww, thanks." Sophie smiled, too.

"Sheesh, what is it with you girls and the compliments?" Wallace remarked, and Colleen thanked him silently. She didn't know how much longer she could stay composed. "It's always 'aww!' or 'thanks!' or 'you're so nice!' or something like that!"

"It's 'cause us girls are so much nicer than you boys," Winona answered.

Wallace wildly turned to Winona. "And when did you become a girly-girl, darling?"

"Aww!" Sophie cried. "He calls you 'darling,' Winona? That's so adorable!"

"He does that to annoy her," Steven laughed.

"Steven, how would you feel if I called you darling?" Sophie questioned.

Colleen visibly flinched.

"Colleen, are you okay?" Steven asked, trying to meet her eyes. Colleen kept her eyes down.

"Oh, yeah, I just heard May yelling, I think," Colleen answered quickly. _Shoot . . . my voice is cracking . . . I _have_ to get out of here . . ._ "You know how she explodes at Ash sometimes." Colleen stood, keeping her eyes averted from Steven. "I'll go check on them. It was nice meeting you, Sophie."

"Same here," Sophie smiled. "Bye, Pichu!"

"_Pichu!_" Pichu waved at Sophie, sensing its Trainer's potential emotional explosion.

Colleen opened the door and began to walk down the hall, her breathing hitching. It took everything she had for the tears to not spill down her cheeks.

"Hey, Colleen!"

Colleen turned in the voice's direction, where Ash was waving her over, in front of a video phone with May, Max, and Brock. She walked to him questioningly, and then Ash said, "Professor, this is Colleen Rose. I'm sure you've heard of her—she's one of Hoenn's Champions."

Colleen met the eyes of the famous Pokémon researcher, hoping he couldn't sense her grief. Professor Oak replied to Ash, "Yes, I have! Hello, there, Colleen and Pichu!"

"Hi, Professor Oak," Colleen replied. Pichu waved and gave its signature "_Pi!_" cry.

"Colleen, I've been meaning to ask you if you're planning to start a journey here in Kanto anytime soon."

"I have thought about it . . . I'd like to get to Kanto sometime soon, but I don't know exactly when . . ."

A grin appeared on the Kanto Professor's face. "Well, I've set aside the starter Pokémon for two other Trainers who plan to begin their journey in Kanto, and I was wondering . . . would you like to be the third?"

"That would be great!" Colleen exclaimed, her heart lifting from her previous encounter. "I'd love to, Professor!

"Wonderful! Register at the Pokémon Center you're in, and send the Pokémon you aren't keeping in your party to your PC. I'll send you a ticket for the S.S. Anne to get you here . . . give me a moment . . ." Professor Oak reached into his back pocket and pulled out a white slip. "Here . . . it will appear in that tray right in front of you."

Colleen and Pichu looked down as the tray flipped over. It glowed golden, and it turned right side up in a flash. The ticket lay in the tray, and Colleen grabbed it eagerly. "Thank you so much, Professor!"

Professor Oak laughed good-naturedly. "No problem, my dear. I await your arrival! Oh! Ah, yes, I need to ask you one more thing—is there a particular starter you'd like? I have the Grass- and Poison-type Bulbasaur, the Fire-type Charmander, and the Water-type Squirtle."

"I chose Torchic here in Hoenn, so I think I'll keep the Fire-type trend! Charmander, please!"

"Then this Charmander is waiting for you! See you when you come to Pallet Town!"

"Bye!"

"_Pichu!_"

The video phone clicked off, and Colleen turned to the others excitedly. Brock was smiling.

"Charmander's a great choice, Colleen, but I'll warn you—the first Gym is in my hometown, Pewter City. My dad's the Gym Leader there—and it's a Rock-type Gym. The next Gym is in Cerulean City, where our friend Misty is—and that Gym's Water-type. Be careful with Charmander."

"Pichu's coming with me to Kanto, so it might give me an edge," Colleen smiled at Pichu. "And I'm sure Charmander would love the challenge!"

Colleen looked down at her hands and scanned the ticket. _Hmm . . . leaving from Lilycove City Harbor . . . riding S.S. Anne . . . docking in Vermillion Port . . . date . . . !_

"Oh my goodness!" Colleen slapped a hand over her mouth before she exploded.

"Colleen, what's wrong?" May asked curiously.

Colleen looked up, her heart hammering away in her chest. "M-my boat—it's leaving for Kanto _tomorrow_!"

**A/N: Man, even I feel sad typing this chapter **** So two chapters left (last chapter's the epilogue). I'll probably be updating daily, so keep an eye out! The conclusion is coming . . . R&R!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: The last chapter before the epilogue :( But expect lots of fluff from the next chapter! This one is more angst-y 'cause Colleen's leaving. Enjoy anyhow!**

**Disclaimer: I wish Pokémon existed (that would be EPIC), but I don't own Pokémon.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Chapter 24**

Colleen stared up at the ceiling of Winona's sky-blue room for the last time. She couldn't sleep at all, her head exploding from everything that had happened to her—all in one day!

Colleen groaned and ran a hand over her face. _This is so sudden! First, finding out about Sophie, and now my boat? I'm actually leaving _tomorrow_! I should be happy . . . it's like starting all over, but I'll have Pichu with me . . ._

_It feels like I did this deliberately, to skip Sophie and Steven's wedding . . ._ Colleen screwed her eyes shut. _Nonononononono, I am _not_ going to think about it. But then again, how would I handle the wedding? I'd run away crying . . ._

There were no words to describe how bizarre Colleen felt. All Colleen could distinguish was the sadness, and the rest was a well-molded mess. A cloud was over her heart, but it wouldn't pour. Strangely enough, Colleen hadn't shed a single tear. Yes, she'd teared up numerous times today, but the tears never spilled. All Colleen hoped was that her sadness wouldn't kill her thrill in Kanto.

"_Pichuuu?_"

Colleen rolled over on her side to smile at Pichu. "Sorry, you must be worried about me, Pichu . . ."

"_Chu . . ._"

"Yeah, it's tough . . . but Steven'll be happy. Sophie seems like a nice girl, and . . . Steven's known her for a long time."

"_Pi!_"

"I guess I kinda am not thinking of myself, but . . . he's getting _married_, Pichu! I have absolutely no chance with him!"

Pichu shook its head in the darkness. "_Chupi!_"

"I was right all along. Steven was just being _nice_ to me. He had a fiancé the whole time."

"_Chu . . . Pichu?_"

"You think he has feelings for me? Pichu, you're a Pokémon, so you can't really understand this, but if Steven liked me, he'd be cheating on Sophie. And it'd be a _biiiiiig_ deal, since Sophie and Steven are going to get married."

"_Pi pi!_"

"You want me to tell him?"

Pichu nodded.

Colleen went silent, sinking into her thoughts, until Pichu piped up, "_Pi?_"

"Maybe, Pichu. I mean, I know I'm going to be rejected, but then again, what's the point?"

"_Chu chu._"

"He needs to know my feelings? But what if it destroys our friendship?"

Pichu leaned over and put its tiny hand on Colleen's forehead. "_Chuuu,_" it cooed, patting its Trainer's head.

Colleen had to laugh. "Sorry I'm burdening you, Pichu. We've got a big day tomorrow, so let's get to sleep, okay?"

"_Chu._"

Colleen woke up feeling very crappy the following morning. It was a sleepless night for her, but she was glad to see Pichu had gotten some shut-eye (it was still sleeping soundly, despite it being eleven a.m.). She looked at her ticket; her boat would be leaving at twelve p.m., so she'd need to leave around eleven forty-five. She gave herself a little pep talk as she walked to the bathroom.

_Okay, I'm going to shower and let all my worries swirl down the drain! I'll make new friends, bond with new Pokémon! There will always be more people I can fall in love with—_

_But none of them will be like Steven._

Colleen shook that thought off, but it followed her like a dog. She stepped into the bathroom and spotted a note on the counter.

_Colleen—_

_Since you're going to a new region, you'll need a stylish new Trainer outfit, right? So here's something I think will suit you pretty well! See you in the morning!_

_3 Love,_

_May_

Colleen looked back at the counter to see a pink drawstring hoodie with half Poké Ball designs on the hem and a pair of black shorts that reached the center of her thighs. _May's so sweet . . . this is a pretty outfit, and it's pink!_ Colleen smiled and shed her pajamas, folding them into her bag before turning on the showerhead.

Ten minutes later, Colleen was in her new Trainer outfit and feeling better than ever. She proceeded to make her signature braids, but only found one of her special Poké Ball scrunchies. _I thought I left them in my bag . . . oh, well, one braid looks cute, too._

When Colleen was out of the bathroom, Pichu was waiting for her. "_Chu!_"

"Good morning, Pichu!" Colleen picked up the little electric mouse. "I'm feeling much better, thanks."

"_Pi?_" Pichu asked, poking Colleen's new hoodie.

"Oh, this? May left it on the bathroom counter for me. I don't have my old outfit, remember? It was torn by Giovanni's Pokémon."

Pichu shuddered as Colleen started towards the kitchen (Colleen hated how whenever she walked into a room, she'd automatically think, _This is the last time I'll walk in here._). Everyone was up already, and May sized Colleen up as she walked to her seat.

"So, how'd you like your present?" she asked, her blue eyes glittering with excitement.

"Thanks a ton, May, I loved it!" Colleen hugged the brunette.

"It looks nice on you, Colleen," Steven remarked as he buttered his toast.

"Thanks," Colleen replied, still unable to meet Steven's eyes. A tingle ran down her spine when Steven said her name.

It felt like any other morning to Colleen; Wallace would tease Winona endlessly, Ash would be psyched about battles, Max and May would be arguing about burnt toast, Brock would be watching the Pokémon, Steven added little bits of information now and then, and Colleen would laugh along with everyone else. Only today, Colleen wouldn't look up at Steven occasionally to meet his eyes and share a private smile. She kept her eyes firmly to her breakfast plate.

"Colleen, what time is your boat leaving?" Ash asked.

"Noon," Colleen replied.

Steven checked his PokéNav. "It's eleven forty-five. We should get going."

The scraping of chairs and clinking of plates filled the kitchen as everyone stood. Colleen shooed away the _I'm leaving this place for the last time _thought before it came.

"I'll be right back, everyone." Colleen went outside to the backyard and released her Pokémon. They looked at her sadly, as if knowing what was about to happen.

"All five of you, I'm leaving for Kanto today," Colleen began with a deep breath. "I'll have to leave you in my PC, because I'm starting all over today, with Pichu." She walked in front of her Pokémon and gave each a hug. "I wanted to say that I love all of you. You were my first Pokémon, and you were what helped me be the Trainer I am today. No matter how strong my next Pokémon are, I will always have a special place for you in my heart."

"_Blaziken._" Blaziken hugged Colleen.

"_Ferrr._" Feraligatr followed Blaziken.

"_Rarr._" Mightyena licked Colleen's hand.

"_Espy._" Espeon rubbed its head against Colleen's leg.

"_Grrrr._" Salamence set its head on Colleen's shoulder.

Colleen closed her eyes sadly and cherished the moment.

"_Pichu,_" Pichu waved at its partners sadly.

A minute later, Colleen had her PC out and was about to zap her Pokémon back into their Poké Balls. The Pokémon nodded at her, telling her to go on. Colleen held up their Poké Balls, and as her first ever Pokémon disappeared, she whispered, "I love you guys. Take care." She brushed at her tears.

Colleen packed up her PC, and went back inside to check if anything was missing, even though she knew everything was there. With a sad sigh, Colleen went outside, where, to her surprise, she met Steven's eyes for the slightest of a second. _He looks so . . . sad? His eyes are so tender . . ._

"Ready to go?" Steven asked gently.

"I think so," Colleen replied.

"Off we go to Lilycove!" Wallace sang in an off-tune voice. Winona facepalmed.

"Are Sophie and Mr. Stone joining us?" Colleen had to ask.

"No," Steven frowned. "Dad and Sophie wanted to talk. Sorry about this, Colleen."

"Oh. That's okay."

An awkward silence hung between Colleen and Steven for the rest of the trip. Nothing eventful happened—Colleen was too engrossed in her thoughts.

They'd reached Lilycove City Harbor too fast for Colleen, but it was eleven fifty-five and they were starting to board. Her heart heavy, Colleen began to bid her good-byes.

"I hope we'll meet soon," Colleen smiled at Ash. "I'm sure you'll be an awesome Pokémon Master the next time we meet! Take care, Ash." She hugged Ash, and Pikachu. "See you, too, Pikachu!"

"_Pika pi!_" Pikachu replied. It hugged Pichu.

"See you, Colleen! Say hi to Professor Oak and Misty for me!" Ash added.

Colleen then hugged Brock. "Good luck on your Pokémon Breeding, Brock. I'm sure you'll be great!"

"Thanks, Colleen. I'll see you around! Say hi to my family for me when you get to Pewter Gym, okay? And take care of Pichu!"

"You got it!"

"_Pichu!_"

"Good luck with Coordinating, May!" Colleen turned to May and hugged her. "And Ash," Colleen added quietly.

May laughed. "Have a great time in Kanto, Colleen! You, too, Pichu! I bet I'll be hearing a ton about you guys in the future!"

Pichu hugged May. "_Chuuu!_"

"Next time I see you, you'll be a Pokémon Trainer, Max!" Colleen exclaimed as she hugged the little boy.

"I hope I'll be as good as you!" Max replied. "Bye, Pichu! You're awesome!"

Colleen had to smile when she came to Winona. "Take care of yourself, and Wallace," she said as she hugged the Fortree Gym Leader.

"You and Pichu, as well, Colleen," Winona replied. "Sorry about all the Steven trouble_._"

"That's alright." Colleen smiled and turned to Wallace to hug the Master Coordinator. "I'll miss you, too, and your never-ending teasing."

"I'm touched," Wallace laughed. "Hey, Colleen?" He motioned for her to come closer. "_Tell Steven._ Seriously, I'm not joking."

Colleen shook her head, getting sadder by the moment. "I'll try, Wallace, but that's easier said than done."

"See you, Pichu!" Wallace tied a pink ribbon around Pichu's ear. "A Contest Accessory for you!" Pichu laughed.

Colleen took a deep breath, and turned to Steven. Tears forming in her eyes, she hugged him tightly, wanting to remember his earthy scent. Steven hugged her back, to her delight.

"I'm going to miss you, Steven," Colleen said once she'd withdrawn. She finally had the courage to look into his eyes. They were as warm as ever.

"And I you, Colleen," Steven replied, watching Colleen with a strange expression. "We've been through quite a lot together, haven't we?"

"Yeah . . . sorry I'm missing your wedding," Colleen managed to apologize. "Congratulations, though."

Steven waved it off, and he suddenly looked uncertain. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a white Poké Ball with a red release button. His eyes bore into Colleen's, and it felt like their own little world. "I want you to have this. It's a Premier Ball, used to commemorate important events, and I thought it would be appropriate to give it to you today."

Colleen took the Premier Ball from him, her eyes clouding with tears. But she wouldn't cry. Not now. Steven's last memory of her wouldn't be of her crying.

"It contains a shiny Beldum. I wanted you to have something to . . . remember our adventures by. So you won't feel so alone when you're traveling."

"Steven . . ." Colleen's voice was dying. "Thank you so much . . ."

"Last call for boarding!" a sharp man's voice yelled.

Colleen looked at Steven, and he smiled sadly. "Then I'll see you soon, I hope."

"Y-yeah. I hope," Colleen responded. Her willpower was standing on the edge of the plank.

Steven pulled her into his embrace once again. "Colleen . . . all I want to say is thanks. For everything. So much changed when I was with you." Colleen drew away from his warm embrace. "I wish you a wonderful journey, Colleen. Good-bye to you, and Pichu."

"Thank you, Steven . . . I enjoyed every moment that I was with you. Good-bye." Colleen's voice choked as she walked away from Steven. She felt his eyes on her as she gave the ferryman her ticket and walked on board, heading for the railing. She leaned over it, waving at her friends.

The boat's whistle groaned, and the boat began to slip away from the dock.

"Bye, everyone!" Colleen called out as loud as her voice would allow.

"_Piiiiichuuuuu!_" Pichu cried out.

Colleen and Pichu kept waving at the others until all they could see were the sparkling waters of Hoenn receding into Kanto's waters.

"_Chu . . ._"

"Oh . . . they're gone . . ."

Colleen looked at the Premier Ball in her hands, and all the emotion building up in Colleen exploded at that moment. She bent over the boat's edge, clutching the rail for support as her tears poured out. Steven's aroma wafted up from the Premier Ball, as if trying to comfort her, but Colleen couldn't stop her tears. Pichu tried comforting her best it could, as well, but the only thing on Colleen's mind was Steven.

_If it wasn't for Sophie, I could've told Steven!_ Colleen wept even harder._ I should have taken the risk—if I knew he didn't like me, I could get on with my life! I wouldn't be so . . . so helpless!_

Colleen turned to Pichu, who was crying to see its Trainer so distraught. "Oh, Pichu . . ." She hugged Pichu to her tightly. "I'm s-sorry for being such a c-crybaby. I'm so g-glad I have you, at least. Now let's get to K-Kanto and have fun!"

Colleen did have fun and many adventures in Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Battle Frontier, and Sinnoh. She had many more battle partners, made many new friends, and learned much more about Pokémon.

But one thing remained constant inside of Colleen, for seven long years: her heart never healed.

**A/N: I was crying when I typed this—seriously. So next chapter's epilogue! Stay tuned and R&R!**


	25. Epilogue: Seven Years Later

**A/N: Welcome to the final chapter of **_**The Hoenn Journeys**_**, everyone! There's AdvanceShipping, TwinleafShipping, GymShipping, and GracefulShipping in this last chapter. I have nothing to say today, except **_**enjoy**_**!**

**Disclaimer: Owning Pokémon would put my head above the clouds . . . no, I don't own it.**

**The Hoenn Journeys**

**Epilogue: Seven Years Later**

_Dear Colleen,_

_Well, hello there, Pokémon Master! I've heard all about your exploits! Champion of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, winner of the Orange League Championship, and conqueror of the Hoenn and Sinnoh Battle Frontiers! That's so awesome! I've been doing pretty well, too—I've become a Master Coordinator, with Wallace's help, along with a friend of mine, Dawn._

_I'm sure you've heard that Ash just defeated the Sinnoh Battle Frontier—which qualifies _him_ as a Pokémon Master, too! Ash's been so ecstatic lately—his mom Delia came to visit and Ash actually didn't protest when Delia asked him if he changed his underwear everyday! We were laughing sooo hard!_

_And my little brother has become a POKÉMON PROFESSOR! He does have a Pokémon party, though: just the final forms of the Hoenn starters._

_Anyway, I'm writing to tell you that you HAVE to come back to Hoenn! Wallace is holding this grand gala next week to announce—get this—HIS ENGAGEMENT TO WINONA! Isn't it romantic? Wear a cute dress or something—Wallace wants it to be formal._

_I'm hoping you can make it—there's a lot more I have to tell you (hint hint ;) ) and a lot more friends I have to introduce you to! I hope I'll see you soon!_

_Lots and LOTS of love,_

_May Maple_

Colleen reread May's letter with Pichu reading over her shoulder, her heart pounding with excitement. The afternoon sunlight kissed her fair skin and the sea breeze played with her knee-length pink hair and her dress.

"I can't wait to see them again!" Colleen exclaimed to her loyal Tiny Mouse Pokémon, clutching the letter. "Do you think I look okay, Pichu?"

At May's request, Colleen had picked out her favorite sundress. It was sleeveless and white with pink polka dots and made of chiffon, with a pink silk ribbon secured under her chest and tied into a bow behind her back. To top her outfit off she sported a pink purse, the shoulder strap slung over her shoulder.

"_Pichu,_" Pichu reassured her. "_Chu pi._"

"I guess I look fine," Colleen admitted, picking at her dress. A sad twinge nagged at her. "I don't have anyone to impress, anyway . . ."

"_Pi_ . . ." Pichu agreed half-heartedly.

"OMFG! Are you Colleen Rose?"

Pichu groaned, as if to say, "Another fan?"

Colleen stifled a giggle and turned to smile at the person who'd spoken, a purple-haired girl in her late teens. "I am."

The girl's hands flew to her mouth. "I'm on the _S.S. Anne_ with _Colleen Rose_? No way!" Her golden eyes sparkled. "Wow! You look so beautiful . . . this is beyond awesome! I'm, like, a _HUGE_ fan! You totally, like, showed the Pokémon world how unevolved Pokémon don't, like, lack potential! Is it true that your Pichu was, like, bitten by this Houndoom and that's why it can't, like, evolve?"

"Yeah, that's true."

"That's, like, too bad, but I'm head over _heels_ for your adorable Pichu!" The girl reached into her vest pocket and pulled out a paper and pen. Shyly, she asked, "C-could you, like, sign this for me? And Pichu, too?"

Colleen smiled. "No problem." She took the pen and wrote her signature in her curly, flowery writing, while Pichu charred a hole in the paper in the shape of a Pichu with a quick ThunderShock. The girl thanked Colleen dreamily and wandered away.

"Having all these fans is tough!" Colleen remarked, leaning over the railing of the boat. "This must be how Wallace and Steven feel like!"

Colleen froze at what had slipped from her mouth, already feeling the wetness in her eyes. _I just said Steven, didn't I? _Pichu looked sympathetic.

A crackling was heard overhead, and a voice announced, "This is your captain speaking. We have arrived at Lilycove City Harbor, in Hoenn's Lilycove City. Please dock the ferry in an orderly fashion, and thank you for choosing the S.S. Anne."

"Yay!" Colleen's spirits immediately lifted and she ran off the boat, being the closest passenger to the exit. _I can't wait! I can see May and the others again! _She inhaled deeply. _Hoenn still has that sea-breeze scent . . ._

"Colleen! Over here!"

Colleen turned and saw a brunette waving to her. She immediately ran into the girl's arms. "May! I'm so glad to see you!"

May hugged her back. "Me, too, Colleen! I'm so glad you're here! Sorry, Max was busy in Littleroot—but he says hi!"

"No problem." Colleen drew back, examining her friend. May's hair was the same as before, only it reached to her shoulders. She was a little taller, as well, and she was wearing a red dress with puffs for sleeves and a gold ribbon around her waist. It fit her perfectly. "May, you look beautiful!"

"I told you, May!" Colleen smiled at the tall boy with messy black hair and a Pikachu at his shoulder; there was no doubt it was Ash.

"Hi, Ash!" Colleen greeted him. "Hi, Pikachu!"

"_Pika pi!_" Pikachu smiled, hopping off Ash's shoulder to greet Pichu.

"I didn't tell you, did I?" May's smile stretched from ear to ear. "Ash and I are going out!"

"That's so awesome!" Colleen squealed. "Congrats!"

"Even _I _found a girlfriend!" The tall boy with dark spiky hair laughed. "I'm sure you've met her."

"Who is it, Brock?"

A redheaded girl with green eyes wearing a thin blue dress waved at Colleen, and Colleen gaped. "_Misty?_"

"Yup! Nice to see you again, Colleen!"

"Same here, and congrats to the both of you, too!"

May took Colleen's hand and led her over to where a girl with long indigo hair and eyes wearing a pink Contest dress and a blonde boy with orange eyes wearing a tuxedo like Ash and Brock stood. "Colleen, this is Dawn Berlitz and her boyfriend, Barry Emerald. Dawn, Barry, this is Colleen Rose."

"Nice to meet you!" Dawn greeted in a sweet tone. "I've heard all about you, Colleen!"

"Yeah! Aren't you a Pokémon Master?" Barry asked in awe as Colleen nodded. "I saw your battle with Cynthia on TV—that was epic!"

"Thanks, Barry. I've heard about you, Dawn," Colleen recalled. "You're a Master Coordinator . . . and didn't you win at the Wallace Cup?"

"I did!" Dawn said excitedly. "May put up an awesome fight with Glaceon, though!"

Colleen smiled widely as Winona and Wallace came over to her, looking the same as the last time she saw them. "Hi, Wallace! Hi, Winona!"

"It's wonderful to see you again!" Winona said happily. Her half-sleeve lavender gown shimmered as she moved.

"I'm sure May broke the news to you?" Wallace smiled, showing Colleen Winona's right hand. Winona's ring finger was adorned with a gold band inlaid with three diamonds.

"She did! Congratulations to the both of you!" Colleen grinned. "I knew it was going to happen eventually!"

As Colleen's crowd of friends went silent, Colleen realized whom she hadn't spoken to yet and gulped. With a deep breath, Colleen turned and her mint green eyes met warm grey ones.

_Steven._

The silver-haired man was smiling at her, looking as kind and gentle as he did seven years ago. His normal grayish-black coat with the purple zigzags down the front was replaced with a pure black coat, and a blue tie took the red handkerchief's place in the collar of the white shirt.

"Hi, Steven!" Colleen said brightly. Her affection for Steven had returned, and the urge to hug him was overwhelming. But Colleen reminded herself with a pang of sorrow that Steven was now a married man. Affection and hugs were now prohibited.

"Hello, Colleen," Steven smiled, and Colleen involuntarily took a step closer to him. _Snap out of it, Colleen!_ "A Pokémon Master now, huh? Great job! How are you and Pichu?"

"Thank you." Colleen managed a small smile. "We're great. How about, you, your dad and S-Sophie?"

Colleen nearly choked on saying Sophie's name, but she masked her blunder. Steven's smile faltered a little bit, but he replied, "We're doing well, thank you. Dad and Sophie are setting up outside Cove Lily Hotel's park."

Colleen's heart sank, to which she asked herself, _What was I getting my hopes up for?_ "That's good."

Colleen couldn't think of anything else to say, but Wallace saved her. "Brock, what time is it?"

"It's . . . five o'clock."

"Oh! The rest of the guests must be arriving! We need to get going! Follow me, everyone!"

Colleen picked up Pichu and began to follow Wallace. Pichu's ears twitched and it looked to Colleen's left. Colleen snuck a glance to see Steven beside her. She pretended not to notice, but Steven's eyes stayed on her as they crossed a small bridge to the vast Cove Lily Hotel. Wallace motioned to the right side of the hotel, and everyone walked there.

Wallace had rented the right side of the hotel for a good reason—it faced the sea. The sea provided a pretty backdrop.

Colleen could see the brown curls of Sophie and the purple suit of Mr. Stone adjusting the microphone and speakers. The Hoenn Gym Leaders were working on setting up numerous chairs and tables out on the grass while the Elite Four were setting out a huge boom box on the concrete. Colleen could even see the Kanto/Johto and Sinnoh Elite Fours helping with the food bar.

"The Gym Leaders of the Orange League, Indigo League, and Sinnoh League should be arriving shortly, along with the Frontier Brains of Hoenn and Sinnoh," Wallace listed. "Winona and I are going to go check on how everyone's doing. We'll be starting the gala at five-thirty, and it's five-fifteen, so hang tight, guys." Wallace and Winona walked off to Sophie and Mr. Stone.

"Is that a dance floor?" Dawn and May's eyes lit up.

Misty rolled her eyes. "You two are such _girls_."

"Aren't you a girl to be dating Brock?" May and Dawn giggled.

Misty blushed. "Well, what do you think, Colleen?"

"I think it's cute!" Colleen stated. "And I know who's going to be dancing_ there_ tonight!" _Definitely not me, though,_ she added silently.

"I can't wait!" Dawn squealed, grabbing Barry's arm. "Just think, Barry! It'll be our first dance!"

A red-faced Barry gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, great . . ."

Everyone laughed and Wallace and Winona came back. "You guys can sit down now. Just make sure not to take up too many tables."

Colleen followed May to her table with Ash, Dawn, and Barry. The five sat down, and Colleen looked over her shoulder to see Sophie heading to Steven's table with Misty, Brock, and Mr. Stone. She turned back to the talking at her table (mainly Barry asking Ash and Colleen about their training methods).

Over the course of the fifteen minutes, Colleen recognized Pokémon League members entering, along with complete strangers who seemed to be important people. At about five twenty-five, a scream was heard.

"Eek! My Pokémon!"

Colleen whirled around in her seat to see a man cloaked completely in black running towards the exit with his hands filled with Poké Balls. Before she knew it, Colleen had stood and shouted,

"Metagross, help me out!"

The gold and silver shiny Metagross gave its metallic groan as it landed in front of Colleen. "Metagross, use Psychic to stop him!"

Metagross' red eyes glowed as the man stopped in his tracks. Someone shouted, "Call the police!"

"I'm the police chief!" An official-looking man walked up to the thief and snapped handcuffs on him. "I'll get him out of here, go on ahead without me! Here, ma'am!" He tossed the woman her Poké Balls.

"Great job, Metagross!" Colleen put a hand on the Steel- and Psychic-type Pokémon's crown. "Take a rest!"

Colleen put the Premier Ball back in her bag just in time for Wallace to begin talking. "Alright, after that strange event . . . back to the main point of tonight!" Everyone took their seats.

"I would like to thank you all for coming. Tonight, I have an announcement to make."

Colleen couldn't stop smiling, so she put her hand over her mouth.

"As you all know, Winona, the lovely Gym Leader of Fortree City, has been my girlfriend for about seven years. We have recently decided to take a step further in our relationship."

An intake of breath was drawn by the crowd.

Winona stood now, a grin on her face as she displayed her right hand. "Wallace and I are going to get married!"

The crowd broke into applause as Wallace kissed Winona and returned to the microphone. "Now, everyone, feel free to have fun tonight! Food is to your direct right, while a dance floor is behind you. Your Pokémon can relax in the park to your left. Enjoy yourselves!"

With the scraping of chairs most of the people stood to congratulate the engaged couple. May and Dawn dragged Ash and Barry to the dance floor after releasing their Pokémon, leaving Colleen, Pichu, and Pikachu alone.

"_Pi?_" Colleen looked down at Pichu, who was pointing to Pikachu.

"You want to play with Pikachu and your friends?"

"_Pi!_" Pichu nodded.

"Okay, that's alright." Colleen took her five Poké Balls out of her bag and said, "Gallade, Weavile, Empoleon, Metagross, come on out!"

Colleen's Pokémon followed the other Pokémon to the park Wallace had mentioned. Colleen sighed, looking around for somewhere to go.

_Is that Sophie?_ Colleen's eyes stopped without her wanting to. Sophie walked to Steven, who was smiling. He leaned down towards Sophie, Colleen's eyes not believing what they were seeing. _Nonononononono, he's not going to . . ._

Colleen tore her eyes away at the last moment and dashed to the exit. She mumbled to Winona and Wallace before they passed, "Bathroom."

Colleen kept running until she reached the bridge. She leaned over the bridge, breathing heavily as her tears fell, scolding herself. _He's _married_, for Arceus' sake! He can k-kiss his wife any time he wants . . . you can't be jealous, you aren't his wife . . ._

"Pretty here, isn't it?"

Colleen knew that voice anywhere. She turned to see Steven watching her.

"Y-yeah, I suppose." _Ugh, my voice is so high . . ._ Colleen wiped her tears away, only to have them return.

"You look beautiful tonight, Colleen."

Colleen hid her face from Steven. "Steven, you can't t-tell me that. We b-both know it's wrong. You're _m-married_."

Steven stayed silent for about a minute, then said, "Colleen, I'd like you to know something—I'm not married to Sophie."

Colleen's ears couldn't believe what Steven had said, and half of her tears just evaporated. "Wh-what?"

"Sophie and I aren't married," Steven repeated.

"Why?" Colleen couldn't help herself to ask. She wiped away her tears again, glad to see that they didn't return.

Steven grabbed Colleen's chin and turned her to face him. "There's someone else."

Colleen blushed under his intense stare. "S-someone else?"

Steven pulled Colleen into a hug, resting his chin on her head. How Colleen had missed Steven's hugs, and she relished in his warmth. "I thought it was just a little crush at first. When it persisted for almost a month, I suspected it wasn't a crush. But when I saw the boat leave, I _knew_ it wasn't a crush. It was true love.

"I went back to Fortree, intending to talk to Dad and Sophie, but they already knew. They'd suspected how I felt from my actions, and Sophie decided to call off our wedding. She was good about it, and Dad wasn't mad at all—in fact, he said he was truly proud of me. So, I waited."

Steven lifted Colleen's face so that she was staring into his eyes. "And the girl I waited seven years for was _you_, Colleen."

Colleen felt her eyes tear up again, but this time out of happiness. Half of her couldn't believe this was happening, but the other half was begging to know what would happen next.

"I love you."

And with those three sacred words, Steven kissed Colleen. His lips felt warm and soft against hers, pressing onto her and making the distance between them smaller and smaller. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her even closer, drowning her into him, while his hand tangled into her hair, deepening the kiss. Without even knowing what she was doing, Colleen kissed Steven back.

When Steven's lips left hers, Colleen found herself wishing for more. But she had one thing to say before he would. She drowned herself in his eyes again and whispered, "I love you, too."

Steven smiled handsomely and bent down to kiss her again, this time more passionately. Colleen almost cried out when he drew back again, this time for a reason. "We should get back to the party, before Wallace starts doing his thing." He slipped his hand into Colleen's and began to walk.

"His accusations are true now," Colleen pointed out. "He teased us about being a couple, and now—" Colleen blushed at the realization. "—we _are_ a couple."

Steven chuckled lightly. "Well, he was right all along."

Colleen smiled. "I'm glad."

Steven bent his head to look at Colleen. "This is a bit off-topic, how did you get Metagross?"

Colleen looked back at him, smiling. "That Beldum from you was like my reminder of you. Whenever I looked at Beldum, I'd think of you. I guess that was why I loved it so much. While I was traveling in the Kanto-Johto landmass, Beldum evolved into Metang. Then in Sinnoh, it evolved into Metagross. I always kept it on my team, as a reminder of you."

Steven kissed her gently. "You're still as cute as you were when you were fifteen."

"Good thing or bad?" Colleen questioned as the two walked through the gate to Wallace's gathering.

Steven laughed. "Good. Whenever you look cute to me, I feel like kissing you. That's a good thing, right?"

Colleen blushed, and Steven laughed again.

"Want to dance?" Steven asked.

"Oh . . . okay!" Colleen followed Steven onto the concrete, where Lilycove's signature theme was playing (A/N: the game music), and started to dance.

"We did this when you became a Hoenn Champion," Steven chuckled lightly.

"That feels so much like yesterday," Colleen remarked. "Now I've beaten the whole Pokémon League . . ."

"I'm proud of you," Steven smiled. "Miss Pokémon Master."

"_Pichu!_"

Colleen found Pichu on her shoulder, hugging her face. "_Chu pi?_"

"Yeah! Steven actually likes me, Pichu!" Colleen exclaimed.

Pichu turned to Steven and hugged him, too. Colleen and Steven laughed.

"Well, now you two really _are_ lovebirds! But we're glad you finally told each other."

Colleen and Steven turned and saw Wallace and Winona waltzing next to them. Both were smiling.

"Steven, you're best man for our wedding, and Colleen, you're maid of honor!" Winona decided immediately. "And both of you will lead the dance!"

"Déjà vu?" Wallace smirked.

"Hey, I wonder whose wedding will be next?" Winona wondered, but she was staring at Steven and Colleen. Both blushed.

"Well, I'd certainly hope it'd be us," Steven smiled.

_Me . . . married to Steven? Colleen Stone . . ._ Colleen got warm thinking about it.

"Then you need to do something for me." Wallace had his teasing smirk on his face. "I want you to kiss Colleen, right here and now."

Before Colleen could protest, her lips were silenced by Steven's.

Colleen exited the bathroom in her nightgown, yawning. It had been a long night—everyone had come home at ten and rented their own rooms at the Cove Lily Hotel. Colleen could see Pichu sleeping in a bundle of blankets, and she smiled.

Colleen slipped into the bed, feeling Steven's arms encircle her. "Today was one of the best days of my life," Steven said.

"Mine, too," Colleen agreed. "It's kinda weird, but I feel . . . like myself again."

After a few minutes of silence, Steven suggested, "I think we should get to sleep."

"Okay," Colleen mumbled groggily.

Steven smiled and raised Colleen's chin to press his lips briefly to hers. "Love you. Good night, Colleen."

Colleen snuggled into Steven's embrace. "Love you, too. Good night, Steven."

As Colleen and Steven fell asleep in each other's arms, they knew their lives had changed. Colleen's life was a puzzle, and Steven was the last piece. Today, Colleen's life-puzzle was complete.

It may have taken seven years, but everything was finally right.

**The End.**

**A/N: After three months, **_**The Hoenn Journeys**_** has finally been completed! Before I say anything else, I'd like to thank all my reviewers:**

_**Penelope Cobblestone**_**—You were the first reviewer and you inspired me to keep writing. Thank you so much!**

_**BurningSapphireFlames**_**—Thanks for your encouragement!**

_**EmoxJerk**_**—It was so nice to find another rabid Steven fan! Thanks for your support!**

_**i-wish-799**_**—Thanks for dropping in a review even though you didn't like May!**

_**Chihuahua Bat**_**—Your reviews were always so inspiring. Thank you very much!**

_**Advanceshipper Forever**_**—Thanks for your support and funny comments!**

_**Swift the Staraptor**_**—Thanks for your comments on my battle scenes!**

_**Charmedgrays**_**—Thanks for your short-and-to-the-point reviews!**

_**pheonickx**_**—Kyungagon, I can always count on you :P Thanks so much for reviewing!**

**_Friend of the Enemy_—Thank you for your comments on my battle scene, too!**

_**bow down to pokemon champion Z**_**—Your reviews were also short-and-to-the-point. Thank you!**

_**Trainer J.P.**_**—Thanks for your review!**

_**Kiara's cubs**_**—Thanks for calling my story perfect! :)**

**And finally, **_**SiriuslyFanatic**_**—See? The story didn't have a sad ending after all :)**

**Thank you all! Hugs for everyone! I may post a sequel (obviously more fluff :P) but it depends. So everyone, thanks for a great time with this fanfic, I'm going to miss typing it up and updating! Hopefully, see you in my next fanfic!**

**Love, Meerca aka Butterfly Meadow**


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